St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church - Visitation and Mass of Christian Burial - Sylvia Mills

Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Church

Sylvia Spadini Mills wonderful, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother has died at age 86, 2 weeks shy of her 67th wedding anniversary. Sylvia was born Oct 26, 1937 in the Delta community of Shaw, MS to parents Silvio and Tolema Spadini. She graduated from Shaw High School in 1955. In 1957 she married her high school sweetheart, Rick, and earned her PHTC degree for sending her husband through MSU, graduating in 1960. During this time her first 2 children were born, Richard in 1958 and Lisa in 1960. Her third child Mike was born in New Jersey in 1963. Starting in 1961 Sylvia began her whirlwind life's journey as she and the children followed her husband's career throughout the USA and 2 foreign countries, Iran and Morocco. With her warm and bubbling personality she made lasting friends everywhere she lived. She played a very significant role in the expatriate community during her husband's overseas assignments. Rick's employer asked her to form and manage a community center to improve morale and wellbeing of our people. She did this so well that she became very well known and most admired by all. This was also very beneficial to our children as she included them in the club's activities and kept them busy. After 20 years of work related travel Sylvia settled down in the state of Maryland where she remained until retirement in 1996. She had taken a position with the Warnock-Hersey company in Severna Park, MD, working in the area of commercial and industrial buildings fire safety. She then began traveling to her children's homes across MS, TX and FL, helping with the new grandchildren. Her eldest son Richard and wife Mary live in Madison County and have 4 children (Kathryn/CO, Emily/CO, Sam/TX and Matt/Bogota, Columbia). Daughter Lisa and husband Peter live in Sugarland, TX and have 2 children (Andrew/CA with their 2 children Hobie and Parker, Christopher/TX). Son Mike and wife Siobhan live in Greensboro, NC and have 3 children (Aine/NC, Cara/Montreal, QC and Sophia/MO). Sylvia was very active in her church everywhere she lived. She especially loved Holy Trinity in Bremerton, WN, St Timothy in Lutz, FL and St Francis in Madison, MS. She was close to her pastors in each location, but most so in St Francis with Father Albeen, Father Mike and Father Sunds. Also Sister Michelle Doyle remained her good friend to the end. Sylvia had 1 brother that passed away in 1962, Carlo Spadini, and has 3 remaining siblings, Gloria (Terry) in Memphis TN, Mary Frances in Greenville, MS and Brother Lawrence (Jackie) in Shaw, MS. She also has 2 nieces, Andria (Don) and their daughter Madeline. In retirement Sylvia also traveled extensively in the USA and Europe, but always loved Italy best. Her most cherished travel companions were Joan and Monty Riddell of NC and Wilda and Dick Gernt of TN. She would also wish to thank her many Doctors and Medical personnel for their efforts on her behalf over the last 20 years. In particular the staff at St Dominic's Hospital of Jackson are to be especially commended. Those wishing to send gifts are encouraged to consider the JDRC or the Capital Campaign of the Saint Francis church in Madison, MS.