Sylvia Joan Mills, 88, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, February 13, 2023. Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 21st at 12:00 pm at the McGilley & Hoge Johnson County Memorial Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas, with the Funeral service following at 1:00 pm. Graveside service will be at 3:00 pm on Tuesday at the Oak Lawn Cemetery in LaCygne, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Fiat for the Future Campaign, c/o Queen of the Holy Catholic Church, 7023 W. 71st Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204.
Sylvia Joan (Modesitt) Mills was born on January 1, 1935 to Charles and Sylva Modesitt in LaCygne, Kansas, joining her older brother, Charles Wesley, to complete their family. After graduating from LaCygne Rural High School in 1953, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she met Marion Mills at a square-dancing group. They married on June 22, 1958, and moved to Overland Park, Kansas. Together they had two sons, Steve and Scott.
Though her name was Sylvia, most people knew her as Joan (Jo-Ann). While Joan wasn’t necessarily a religious woman, she did believe in God and believed that she would see Marion; her parents; Wesley; and the rest of her family who had gone before her, again in Heaven.
As a family, they loved to travel, especially to the National Parks, covering at least 21 states and into Canada, often taking their poodles, whom she loved, with them (9 of them on one trip).
They were a musical family. When the boys were young, she played the organ at home, while Marion and the boys played stringed instruments.
She worked as a secretary for TWA, then went to work for Linn Insurance Agency, which later became Universal Underwriting Group. She was an executive secretary there for about 30 years, retiring in 2003.
She loved her family with a passion, especially her grandchildren, Kevin and Andrea, and their children. She was always there for the family, including extended family. She and Marion were always included in family events of Robin’s family, (their daughter-in-law). Her last big family event was the Wilkinson family Christmas party in December 2022, where she was greeted with love and hugs from all.
She was an avid reader, mostly mystery and sci-fi, and she catalogued every book she ever read or planned to read.
She loved to sew, quilt, crochet, and needlepoint, making gifts for family members, especially the grandkids when they were younger.
She was never much of a cook. Actually, when Marion passed away, we were all afraid she would starve. But she soon discovered frozen dinners that she could microwave and thrived on them and other easy-to-cook foods well for the next 25 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion Mills; her parents; her brother; and brothers-and-sisters-in-law.
She is survived by her two sons, Steve Mills and Scott Mills and his wife, Robin of Overland Park, Kansas; grandchildren, Kevin (Molly) Mills of Overland Park, Kansas and Andrea (Buddy) Camacho of Springfield, Missouri; 6 great-grandchildren, Manuel, Noland, Jude, Mae, Clark, and Jack; and several nieces and nephews.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcgilleyhoge.com for the Mills family.
