Mildred Hazel

She was preceded in death by her husband, John F. Hazel; her parents, Robert V. Hannah, Sr. and Hazel L. Hannah; sister, Shirley Elaine (Hannah) Stanton; and brother, Paul Hannah. She is survived by her brother, Robert V. Hannah Jr.; her two sons, Scott and Todd Hazel; her two grandchildren, Chelsea Amanda Pfarr-May and John Hazel; and her two great grandchildren, Julianna and Liam.

Millie was born Mildred Jean Hannah, on July 29, 1927 in Arlington, VA., the second child of Robert V. Hannah, Sr., and Hazel L. Hannah. She grew up in a musical family. Millie, along with her three siblings, loved to sing while her father played the guitar.

She graduated from Fairfax High School in 1944.

Millie received a Bachelor of Music from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1948.

Millie’s friend, Elaine L. Quarforth ’47, actually set-up a secret audition for her with Dean J. Edgar Anderson and Professor Katherine Gregg. Millie thought she was just visiting the campus, but the Dean asked her to play a piece on the piano and as a result, she was offered a four-year scholarship to the conservatory.

Millie went on to graduate from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, with a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music, in 1955.

Millie married John Hazel, Sr. on September 17, 1955, at Fairfax Baptist Church.

Possessed with an uncanny ability to read music - she said that she could read sheet music notes faster than she could read the newspaper - Millie chose to become an accompanist rather than a concert pianist, although she could have been either.

For nearly 70 years, she was a church organist and choir director, and taught piano, organ and voice, and musical theory from her home studio for 60+ years.

Millie also arranged for, coached, and directed both Sweet Adeline women’s choruses and barbershop men’s performing choruses, as well as various performing quartets and choirs over the ensuing years.

She was the choir director and organist/pianist at her church for over 40 years. While there, she assembled a brass and string ensemble from her church membership, and arranged and rehearsed the worship music that they would perform each Sunday.

In 1974, she was awarded the title of Minister of Music at the Fairfax Christian Church, in Fairfax, VA.

In 2009, Millie suffered a severe stroke, affecting her right (dominant) side, her speech, and her ability to walk. Her significant musical gifts and talents were necessarily quieted.

After 19 months of rehabilitation, Millie finally mastered the safe use of a walker, and was released to live in the home of her son, Todd, with daily assistance from son, Scott.

For the next 12.5 years, Millie continued to live with her sons - loved and cherished, and always included in family events and outings. Every year, she and her sons would travel to her family's annual get-togethers, deep in the hills of western NC. There, she would sing with her family as they played authentic bluegrass music and country gospel hymns.

In 2015, Millie transferred her church membership to Hulls Memorial Baptist Church, in Stafford Virginia. Even at this twilight stage of her life, she would offer constructive criticisms to the church musicians and choir director, all of whom where appreciative of her “professional” worship music critiques.

In 2019, Millie attended the wedding of her granddaughter, Chelsea, to Robert May, in Tennessee.

In December 2020, Millie contracted a severe case of ocular shingles, which hospitalized her for two weeks.

Once home, she continued to live out her remaining time by being with her boys - together, as one team. Though she had lost most of her ability to talk, and feed herself, the boys took up the slack caused by her increasing infirmities, and the three continued to march forward as family.

Millie was hospitalized on Friday, January 14, 2022, having lost consciousness. She died in the hospital on Thursday, January 19, 2022. Scott and Todd were present, gently stroking her hands while quietly talking to her as she drew her last breath.

She was 94 + six months.

Goodbye, Mother. We love you. You are in God’s protective arms, now. The struggle is finished; the suffering and pain have ceased.

A viewing will be held Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A funeral service will occur on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 6:00 PM.

The viewing and funeral service will both be held at Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service, 186 Shelton Shop Road, Stafford, Virginia 22554.

A separate burial service will occur on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 11:00 AM at National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Virginia 22402. The burial is open to all who wish to attend.

Millie will be laid to rest next to her husband, the late John Hazel (d. 1979).