Nancy Gordon Mills, 89
Nancy Gordon Mills passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 17th, at her residence at Penniman Hill, in Hingham. She was 89 years old.
Nancy was born on February 3, 1937 in Lynn Massachusetts, the only child of Donald and Grace Gordon, and she was raised in Lynnfield. As a child, she spent many fun summers as a camper and a counselor at Fleur De Lis Camp in New Hampshire. While there, she loved horseback riding and became a championship riflery marksman. Nancy attended Wakefield High School, where she was an enthusiastic member of the cheerleading team. After high school, she attended Vermont College, where she graduated in 1956 with an Associate of Arts degree.
After graduating, she took an administrative position in the office of Dr. Walter Bauer, head of the Arthritis Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital. It was there that she met John Mills, a young physician in the Unit. They were married on October 28th, 1962, and together they raised three sons, Edward, Peter and Alexander, and made their home on Rangeley Road in Winchester, MA and later in Marion, MA. Nancy and John were happily married for 62 years.
It is difficult to adequately describe Nancy’s role and accomplishments as a mother. As the wife of a physician who worked long hours, most of the daily responsibility for raising the family fell to her, and she was more than up to the task. Over the years, she was always there. Sending them off to school in the morning, greeting them at the end of the day, driving them to activities, cooking the meals, listening, offering guidance and advice. As they went off to college and then started their careers and families, she was always no more than a visit or a phone call away. She forever had their back and was forever in their corner. In her later years, she was a proud grandmother who loved seeing and hearing stories about the accomplishments of her eight grandchildren.
On the weekends, she and John loved spending time as a family, most often outdoors. Sailing and playing tennis in the summer, skiing and skating in the winter, and walking in the Fells Reservation year-round. Nancy was an accomplished tennis player and played competitively in many leagues over the years, continuing into her mid-eighties. She also served as a Winchester Town Meeting member and was a longstanding member of the En Ka Society, a non-profit charitable organization in Winchester.
As the last of her sons went off to college in 1984, no one would have blamed Nancy if she had taken some time to sit down and relax. Instead, she turned a small part-time business she had started with a friend importing and selling hand woven woolen blankets from Wales into Mystic Valley Traders, a business that grew from a one room store front in Winchester to a factory building in Woburn, employing some 30 people, all of whom received healthcare benefits. In the early years, the Welsh did not have the same color sensibility as Nancy — they favored browns, oranges, and greens over her most favored blue. With some cajoling and a visit or two to Wales, she convinced her suppliers to produce colorways that would sell in the U.S. The product line eventually expanded to hand-crafted luxury bedding collections, custom duvet covers, shams, and decorative accent pillows, which were sold to home furniture retailers and interior designers across the country. Every look was Nancy’s, from concept to production. Eventually seeking to join John in “retirement”, she sold the company in 2003.
Nancy’s pride and joy was always her family, and perhaps her favorite tradition was the annual Mills family Thanksgiving celebration in Winchester, and later at her and John’s home in Marion. She reveled in cooking a huge turkey dinner for her immediate family as well as in-laws, friends, and whoever else needed somewhere to go on the day. Many years, there were over 20 people celebrating and giving thanks. She was a spectacular cook who could always whip up a feast wherever she was; at home, in a ski house or on a sailboat.
Nancy was preceded in death by her husband John, sister-in-law Elizabeth Sesselberg and nephew Arthur Sesselberg. She is survived by her sons Edward of Cohasset (Marianne, and children John, David and Margaret), Peter of Milton (Katrina, and daughters Mackenzie (husband Matt Cassanelli), Claire and Madeline), Alex of Hingham (Sarah, and daughters Grace and Emma) a nephew, Dr. Henry Sesselberg of Cape Elizabeth, ME (Tracy, and daughters Meryl and Alemnesh), as well as Arthur’s wife Abby of Guilford, CT, and their children Herrick and Graham.
The family would like to thank Nancy’s many dear friends and neighbors in both Winchester and Marion for their kindness and support, Dr. Chris Coley (MGH, Boston), the home health aides at Nova Leap in Marion, and the staff at Penniman Hill in Hingham.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the En Ka Society in Winchester. A life celebration will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham. To leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com
