Nancy Donahue Millard

Nancy Donahue Millard, 100, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at her home in Arlington, VA. She was the youngest of six children born to Dr. Hugh Donahue and Nellie Maguire Donahue of Haverhill, MA. Nancy grew up a proud Haverhillite, was the first woman in her family to go to college and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1942. After graduation she moved to Arlington with her mother, sisters, and niece. Upon moving to Virginia, Nancy worked at The Library of Congress, where she was introduced to Gren Millard Jr from Washington, DC. Nancy and Gren married in 1947 and had three children. After her first grandchild christened her “Mugga”, she was known by that name to many people. Mugga will be long remembered for her crab cakes, chocolate chip cookies, homemade soups, and a bottomless pot of black coffee. She was a great chef and always knew when not to quite follow the recipe. As a wonderful hostess she loved nothing better than a crowd around her table, talking politics and telling stories. She was grateful to vote in 2020 and to see Joe Biden elected President. Sailing on the Chesapeake with Gren was a highlight of their retirement years. She learned how to tack, come about, duck at appropriate times, and generally be a great first (and only) mate for Gren. They made many wonderful friends at the West River Sailing Club, where they kept their Cape Dory 27, the “Nancy D”. After Gren’s death in l995, Nancy continued to be active, delivering Meals on Wheels, taking water aerobics classes, and traveling whenever she could. Every summer she spent a week at the Outer Banks with her extended family, teaching them the proper way to do cocktail hour and making countless memories for four generations to cherish. Her enduring interest in others set her apart. She’d ask you a thousand questions, then later want you to follow up with the latest developments. She loved knowing and spending time with each of us. This continued into the recent present, where she’d “accidentally” FaceTime her grandsons for a chat. Nancy is survived by three children: Sara Davis (Ted); Martha Malone (William); and Gren (Chip) Millard (Liz). She also leaves eight grandchildren: Trip Skube (Carie); Sean Skube (Dorothy); Caitlin Skube Zeal (Mike); Teddy Davis (Tina), Katy Davis, Brian Millard, Scott Millard (Jenny), and Mark Millard (Phoebe). Her twelve great grandchildren include Grayson, McKinley, Camden, Declan, Alex, Emma, Booker, Olive, Hugh, Emmett, Quinn, and Owen. Nancy also leaves many dear nieces and nephews, including Mary O’Byrne Murray and Bert Malley Jr. Due to COVID-19, there will be a private funeral Mass and burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancy’s name to Capital Caring Hospice, 3180 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042. For those who wish to attend virtually to the funeral mass, please follow the link on Saturday, December 5th at 11AM https://saintagnes.org/start-here/st-agnes-live-stream