Anne E Mills

Anne E. (Sullivan) Mills of Newport died peacefully in her sleep with her family by her side after a short illness.

Anne was the loving wife of the late Stuart K. Mills Jr. for 56 years until his passing in 2015. Born in Newport, she was the daughter of the late John and Sophia (Montag) Sullivan. She was a graduate of St. Catherine's Academy where she made lifelong friends and was a proud graduate of Newport Hospital School of Nursing.

She married Stu, her high school sweetheart, in 1959 and together they raised three children. She was a devoted mother to her kids and many of their friends considered her a second mom. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her immense joy. She supported each and every one wholeheartedly and never missed a gymnastics meet, theater production, dance recital, or ball game.

As her family grew, she worked as a private duty nurse, always providing kind and compassionate care to her patients.

She was a proud member of the P.O.E.T.S , her core group of girlfriends, who alternately supported each other through life's ups and downs, all the while getting into all kinds of mischief together. There were many stories which abound and we are not sure Conan O'Brien or Ron Howard ever recovered from their meetings with the P.O.E.T.S.

Anne was a devout Catholic whose faith was of the utmost importance to her. That faith sustained her most especially following the unexpected loss of her son, Tim, in 2020.

She was also a member of the LAOH and enjoyed the social aspects and all that entailed.

Some of her happiest times were spent with Stu on their boat just sitting on their mooring, enjoying the view, perhaps a little beverage, and the sound of kids and grandkids splashing around in the water. She was fiercely competitive and had a great passion for playing games with her family. She never, ever let a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild win if it was unearned - which frequently meant she was teaching them not to be bad losers.

Together she and Stu had many adventures: some on their boat, some on the golf course, and some on the open road. Helping to move their daughter, Steph, cross-country was a particularly memorable one of those adventures. As long as they were together, they were happy and we believe their reunion was joyous.

Anne is survived by her daughters, Kathleen Dunn Colardo and her husband, Mario Colardo, and Stephanie Mills Giard, and her husband, Michael Giard, her grandchildren, John E. Dunn, Jr. and his wife Megan Savage Dunn, Patrick T. Dunn and his wife Katie Parker and Thomas S. Dunn and his partner, Caroline King, Michael Giard, Jr. and his wife, Vanessa Giard, Austin Giard, Marisa Giard and her partner Nate Brindamour, Alicia Lema and her husband Brad Lema, Dylan Leonard and his wife, Kaitlyn Leonard , John Walsh and his wife Corinne and Emily Walsh. She was the proud great-grandmother of Hailey K. Dunn, John B Dunn and Autumn Savage. She was the mother of the late Timothy J. Mills and is also survived by Tim's wife, Anne Walsh Mills. She also leaves behind extended family members John Dunn, Sr. and Cynthia Miller Dunn. Anne is survived by several nieces and nephews and cousins, all of whom she loved dearly.

In addition to her husband and son, Anne was predeceased by her brother, Lawrence C. Sullivan, and his wife, Kathleen Sullivan and her sister, Joan A. Custy and her husband Raymond Custy.

The family would like to thank the staff at Newport Hospital ICU whose nurses were absolute rock stars, the compassionate staff at Village House Convalescent and Nursing Center and the incredible staff at Beacon Hospice and Palliative Care. Their time together was short but the compassion shown is unsurpassed. A special thank you also goes out to Dr. Robert Ciccelli for his care and compassion over the years.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 6, 2026 from 4-7 pm at Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 7, at 10 am at St. Mary's Church, Newport.

Burial will follow at St. Columba Catholic Cemetery, 465 Brown's Ln., Middletown.

Donations in her name may be made to the Timothy J. Mills Financial Aid Fund, Sail Newport, 72 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840, Beacon Hospice and Palliative Care, 1130 Ten Rod Road, Suite A205, North Kingstown, RI 02852 or St. Mary's Church, How to Donate ' Saint Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church Newport, Rhode Island