1940 - 2022
Gwendolyn M. Mills passed away surrounded by her family, and enveloped in love, in Wheat Ridge, CO, on March 29, 2022. She was 82.
Born in Los Angeles, California, on January 4, 1940, to Roy P. and Rose E. Littleworth, Gwen was the third child of British immigrant parents who had met on the ship from England on their emigration journey to Canada and then California. Gwen grew up in a strong and loving family that was highly involved in their church where Gwen sang in the choir. She was an accomplished piano player, vocalist, and even dabbled with the ukulele as a child. As a teenager, Gwen initially met Al, her future husband, at their church, unaware that years later they would reacquaint and marry. Her mother, Rose, was deaf, likely contributing to Gwen’s strong family orientation and warm, caring approach to her relationships throughout her life. Gwen was always quick to smile, considerate of others and demonstrated exceptional kindness.
Upon graduation in 1957 from George Washington High School, where Gwen was Prom Queen, she attended Los Angeles Community College. Gwen married Alfred James Mills in 1961, immediately starting their family. During their time in Granada Hills, Gwen made loving forever friendships that lasted 60+ years. She also had several friendships from her early childhood that she maintained for her entire life.
Gwen, Al, and their children, Doug and Kristi, lived in Granada Hills, California, until 1972 when Al joined the Veterans Administration Hospital system as a certified orthotist and prosthetist in Albany, NY. Gwen, Al, Doug, and Kristi lived in Albany for five years where Gwen was active in the children’s school, Roesselville Elementary, as well as with The Cathedral of All Saints where Doug sang in the choir. She participated in a bowling league and enjoyed playing pinochle and socializing with beloved neighborhood family friends. Gwen was also active with the Meals on Wheels organization. In 1977, Al received a promotion within the Veterans Administration requiring relocation to Richmond, VA, where the Mills family lived until 1985. In their free time, they enjoyed boating, camping and fishing.
In 1982, Gwen joined the Department of Defense DGSC Bellwood, a time she thoroughly enjoyed. In 1985, Al decided to leave the VA Hospital and enter the private sector. He took an orthotic-prosthetic position in Watertown, New York, at which time Gwen transferred within the DoD to Fort Drum New York, where she worked until 1990. At this time, Al and Gwen became entrepreneurs, opening their own business, Mills Orthotic Lab, which served the Northern New York region, providing orthotic and prosthetic services. They had a dynamic and fulfilling time as entrepreneurs, and immensely enjoyed working together as a team. In 1999, Gwen and Al decided to move closer to Kristi and her husband, Chase, who had relocated to Minneapolis. In 2000, Gwen joined Miracle Ear/Amplifon managing their customer service organization. She absolutely loved the seven years she spent at Miracle Ear, retiring in 2007. Al had passed away from prostate cancer in 2002 and, despite Gwen’s broken heart from losing her best friend, she went on to live a positive, brave, and fulfilling life, always carrying Al with her in her heart. A day never went by over the past 20 years that she didn’t think of Al.
In 2007, Gwen relocated once again, this time to Golden, Colorado, following Kristi and Chase, to be a nanny to her three grand children, Alexa (Lexy), Christopher (Kit) and Chase (CJ), Her sister, Rosemary, also moved to Golden, Colorado, from Las Vegas. Rosemary and Gwen lived together in their lovely townhome until Rosemary passed in 2017. Living only five minutes away from Kristi, Chase and the grandchildren, Gwen and Rosemary hosted countless sleepovers, dinners and raucous games of hide and go seek. It was a cherished time for Gwen as a mother, grandmother and friend. Gwen frequently picked her grandchildren up from school at Kyffin Elementary. Being a grandmother, and a fantastic one at that, was most certainly one of Gwen’s most cherished life roles.
In 2018, Gwen downsized from her Golden townhome in order to move closer to Kristi, Chase and the grandchildren who had moved from Golden to Denver. Gwen moved a block away which allowed Lexy, Kit and CJ to walk down to their grandmother’s house on an almost daily basis, another idyllic family situation. Being a grandmother to her three grandchildren, who adore her, brought her immense joy. Gwen once said that being present for the birth of her grandchildren was like living in a beautiful dream.
During her 15-year retirement, Gwen most enjoyed spending cherished time with her sister, children, grandchildren, and friends. She stayed very physically active until her initial cancer diagnosis in 2018, taking annual trips to California to visit her best friends and family, exercising at Curves, and taking long walks in her neighborhood and along Clear Creek in Golden. Gwen also played mahjong and enjoyed watching old westerns on television and keeping up with her friends and family on social media. Over the past several years, Gwen enjoyed family dinners that included ultra-competitive games of Parcheesi, watering her garden, and sitting on her patio, along with the occasional glass of sangria and hot fudge sundae.
Gwen was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, whose innate positivity, resilience, sense of humor, integrity, kindness, patience and humanity served as an example to all who knew her. Likewise, her warm and beautiful smile and loving personality brought immense joy to countless others over the course of her beautiful life.
Gwen is preceded in death by her husband and best friend, Alfred James; her parents, Roy Putland Littleworth and Rose Elizabeth Delo Littleworth; a sister, Rosemary Ellen Littleworth Ciolfi; and a brother, Arthur L. Littleworth. Gwen is survived by her daughter, Kristi Mills LeBlanc; her son, Douglas J. Mills; her son in law, Chase L. LeBlanc; and her three grandchildren, Alexa Rose, Chase James and Christopher Caslin.
To honor Gwen, who battled breast cancer with courage, grace and a strong never-give-up spirit, please make contributions to Collier Hospice Center at 3210 Lutheran Parkway, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
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