Obituary of Zella Adrianne Mills

MILLS: On May 27, 2014 at her residence in Brandon and in the presence of family members, Zella Adrianne Mills (née Leachman) quietly and peacefully passed away two days short of her 89th birthday. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her children and their spouses, Brent and Rena Mills, Pamela and Jim Horn and Valerie and Bruce Daly along with her nine grandchildren, their spouses and partners and her four great grandchildren. Her loss will be felt by many, none more than by her relatives from the Mills and Leachman families. Zella was predeceased by her husband Dr. John T. Mills (1974), her parents Beacher and Edith Leachman and her brother Morley Leachman. Whether she was family, colleague, neighbor or team mate it is likely that Zella was also a friend as mom was truly special, widely admired and much loved. Throughout her life she was a role model to many, a woman of grace and good humor committed to her family, her friends, her workplaces and her community. Mom was born in 1925 and raised within a loving family on a farm near Wawanesa. As a child of the depression she learned early the value of a dollar, the strength of family ties and the importance of helping those less fortunate. Mom and dad, raised on neighboring farms, were high school sweet hearts. While dad was away, as part of the war effort, mom studied in Winnipeg, graduating as a Registered Nurse. Following the war they married and mom worked at her profession in Brandon and Toronto while dad studied to become a Dentist. In 1953, mom and dad returned to Brandon with three year old Brent in hand and Pam soon to be born. With eternal optimism and energy they threw themselves into the task of building a life, raising a family, and joining a community. Valerie was born in 1955 completing the family unit. The Mills children were blessed to grow up with mom's unconditional love and direction. She was a stay at home mom who was always there for her children and their friends providing love, support, encouragement and guidance. Family time was very important in the Mills household. There are many happy memories of time spent together at Clear Lake or in the family station wagon on the annual camping trip. Mom always opened her home to her children's friends where it was common to find one or more in deep conversation with their friend Zella. In later years she was equally welcoming to the friends of her grandchildren, many of whom came to affectionately call her Gran. Mom lovingly welcomed her children's spouses into her family quickly forming strong and enduring relationships with each of them. In the course of seven years mom welcomed nine grandchildren into her world. For the rest of her days she showered each of them with love, support and enthusiasm. Several of them lived with her during summers at Clear Lake which provided them with gentle guidance and her with great joy. Mom loved nothing more that to have her entire family together particularly for special occasions or vacation times. The family has particularly fond memories of times shared in her cottage at Clear Lake with seven adults and nine children frequently living together happily under one small roof. Despite the crowd, each of her grandchildren was made to feel unique, special and very much loved. Mom became a great grandmother six years ago and although she had declined, these four wonderful additions to the family always brought a smile to her face and a song to her lips. Widowed at age 48 with two daughters in University, mom didn't take long to pull up her socks and to get on with the next phase of her life. She began by recertifying as a nurse, a profession she had left some 20 years earlier to raise her family. Shortly thereafter she went to work in the homecare field where she remained until almost 70 years of age. Countless families were affected by her commitment. Numerous co-workers have spoken of the dedication and inspiration she brought to their workplace. Mom's commitment to healthcare extended beyond her own workplace. For several years she served on the Board of Directors of the Brandon General Hospital, eventually becoming the first ever female Chair of the Board and taking a lead on countless matters, not the least being the formation of the Brandon General Hospital Foundation. When the Brandon Regional Health Authority was created Mom was a logical and willing appointment to its Board of Directors as well. Mom's commitment to health care resulted in her twice accepting appointments from the Provincial Government to chair task forces studying health care delivery in rural Manitoba and earning her various awards and commendations for her efforts. For good measure mom continued to throw herself at countless community endeavors whether chairing the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships, serving on the Brandon Area Foundation or volunteering to sit with post surgical or cancer patients at the hospital. Mom always enjoyed recreational activities, forming many valued friendships while curling, golfing or fishing. During her declining years, mom continued to be a role model of grace and dignity. The frustrations associated with a gradual loss of memory, language skills and mobility never succeeded in wiping the trademark smile from her face. She remained appreciative and kind to her family and those around her while continuing to enjoy humor and song until the end. During her final years mom lived at Hillcrest Place which provided her a warm and friendly family atmosphere. She shared many a smile and laugh with the wonderful staff allowing her family to know that she was in good hands. As in her younger years, mom remained very social. She loved people and participated in most recreational activities. Even when she could no longer really participate, she simply enjoyed "hanging out" with the staff and other residents. Her love of music was a great comfort to her until the end and many memorable family visits were spent singing together. Mom's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren along with their spouses and partners are all exceptionally proud to have been part of her family. A service to celebrate Zella's life was held at Knox United Church, on Friday, June 6, 2014 with Rev. Craig Miller officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Zella may be made to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 2B3 or to a charity of choice.