Millie Ann Dellinger Dellinger Rockett

HICKORY, Mrs. Millie Ann Dellinger Rockett, 87, passed away September 25, 2016, after a hard-fought and courageous battle with breast cancer. A gifted teacher and a creative soul, she will be remembered for her feisty spirit and zest for life. Always quick to share a story or a smile, Millie never met a stranger.

Millie was born in Hickory, North Carolina, on August 27, 1929, to Bertha Melissa May Dellinger and Archibald Teddy Dellinger. After graduating from Hickory High School in 1947, she attended Mars Hill College from fall 1947 to spring 1949. Afterward, Millie was office manager at Clark Tire and later credit manager at Spainhour’s. However, her favorite jobs involved working with children. She was a well-loved kindergarten and preschool teacher in Catawba County and in Charlotte, NC. Hundreds of children at Charlotte’s Providence Day School enjoyed her creative talents in the Extended Day program, where she was an art teacher for nearly twenty-five years. It was a job she loved so much that she continued working through her eightieth birthday!

Millie met and married Edward Ernest Rockett in 1953. Although the two had a whirlwind courtship and engagement, their union was strong for nearly 59 years, and they created a loving family of five children, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Her life was filled with family and friends. She was a fierce and loyal defender of those she loved, and she spent her life sharing her wit and spunk with everyone. She and her family loved each other without bounds, and she made all she met feel like they were a special part of her family.

Though she stayed busy with her family and friends, Millie enjoyed arts, crafts, games, and helping others. Always quick to lend a hand, she volunteered with the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, Providence Baptist Church, and most recently with the John Hoyle Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her life was one that was artfully lived.

She is survived by son Alan Rockett and daughter-in-law LuAnn and their children Mark and Jenny Rockett and Anna and Randall Potter and grandchildren Ellie and Sam of Atlanta, GA; son Eric Rockett and daughter-in-law Endia and their children Casey and Justin Spies and Eric Rockett, Jr. and grandchildren Aiden, Brayden, Mackenzie, Foster, and Parker of Van Alstyne and Denton, TX; daughter Tina Rockett of Hickory; son Kyle and daughter-in-law Tina and their children Jenna and John-Kyle of Virginia Beach, VA; daughter Lori Jobe and son-in-law Doug and their children Haley, Alex, and Katie of Richmond, VA; brother Bill Dellinger of Black Mountain, NC; sister Jane McMillan of Hickory; brother Bob Dellinger and his wife, Barbara, of Hickory; brother-in-law Charles Rockett and his wife, Lucille; brother-in-law Gary Rockett and his wife, Margie; brother-in-law Dwight Rockett and his wife, Ruth, all of Conover, NC; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward; great granddaughter, Lucy Jane Rockett; brother Jerry Dellinger; and sisters Kathleen Dellinger Propst and Mary Dellinger Wright.

A memorial service to celebrate Millie’s life will be held at Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ, 217 2nd Avenue NE, Conover, NC 28613, on Friday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ, 217 2nd Avenue NE, Conover, NC 28613 or Catawba Regional Hospice, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, NC 28658.

The family would like to thank her devoted hospice team for their extraordinary care throughout her illness.

Condolences may be sent to the Rockett family at drumfh-conover.com

The Rockett family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremations in Conover.