Nancy Mills

Nancy Mills, born Harriet Nancy Feder on September 6, 1933, in Newburgh, N.Y., passed away peacefully at age 88, on April 24, 2022 at Bay Village under Hospice in Sarasota. She was predeceased by parents, Lewis and Rose Feder. She is survived by her loving husband Howard Mills of 67 years; son Alan Stuart and wife Debra; son David Edward and wife Denise; son Steven Eric and wife Katherine; grandchildren Erin Reynolds (Dave), Jason and Lauren, Nikki and Gabe, Danny and Becca, and Sydney Cherney (Eric) and two great grandchildren, Callie and Carter.

Educated at Albany State University, Adelphi University and SUNY at Brockport, Nancy taught High School English on Long Island and in Rochester, N.Y. She was a reading and composition specialist and was fondly remembered by many ex-students in later life.

Her greatest source of joy was the deep love she gave to and received from her family. To create lifelong bonds, she and Howard took each grandchild on a two-week trip to the American West or the Caribbean for their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. Nancy began annual Thanksgiving weekends, attended without exception by the entire family for nearly forty years.

Following Howard’s career as an aerospace engineer, she repeatedly re-created a home for her family in Cincinnati, OH, Rochester, NY, Hartford, CT and back to Rochester. A wonderfully sociable woman, in each location she built an active life based on community involvement and new friendships.

After several winter vacations here, Nancy retired with Howard to Sarasota in 1998. Almost on arrival, she formed a book club, Reading in Paradise, which remains in operation today. She enjoyed travel with friends, theater, mahjong and card games, and watching TV. Most important to her, she was a treasured friend to so many.

She will be interred in Chabad Gardens, of Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave., at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. The family will sit shiva at home (8824 Havenridge Drive) from 1:00 to 4:00 on Wednesday and from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday.