Janet Carol Mills, 85, of Staatsburg, New York, died on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, New York.
Born December 25, 1937, in Binghamton, New York, Janet was the daughter of Ruth Grace Docherty and Albert Gustav Mills. She was preceded in death by her mother and father; sister Doris Mills Stoddard; aunts Hazel, Helen, and Margaret; uncles Dick and Elmer; and cousins Virginia and Donald.
Raised as a member of the IBM “family” (her paternal grandfather was an inventor and one of the first senior engineers at the company), Janet’s earliest memories were moving around to follow their father’s job as an IBM designer, ultimately transferring in 1945 after World War II to Poughkeepsie, NY as part of the first group of families who made IBM a major employer in the Hudson Valley region.
Janet was a 1955 graduate of Highland High School, Highland, New York. She received a BS in Journalism at Rider College (NJ), and both a MA in English and a MPS in Humanistic Education from SUNY New Paltz. Janet taught literature and writing for 33 years at Dutchess Community College and for 21 years at Marist College (both Poughkeepsie, NY).
Prior to teaching, Janet served as head of public relations for the United Way of Dutchess County, the first woman to hold that position. Additionally, she worked for IBM in White Plains as well as in Poughkeepsie, NY.
She was active politically from early on, including serving as a member of Common Cause in the 1960s and lobbying for campaign finance reform. She also campaigned for George McGovern for his first run, supporting his firm stance against the Vietnam War. Janet was also a strong supporter of environmental causes, with memberships in the Sierra Club, Mid-Hudson Nuclear Opponents, Hudson Valley Green, the John Burroughs Natural History Society, as well as being a legacy member of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In addition, she was a member of the boards of the Friends of the Mills Mansion and the Fort Homestead Association.
Volunteering was also a part of Janet’s life of service, which included delivering for Meals on Wheels for five years (Rhinebeck/Rhinecliff) and working at the Tourism Information Cottage in Rhinebeck. An avid reader from the start, Janet volunteered for both the Poughkeepsie Library District and the Starr Library in Rhinebeck.
Janet was devoted to animals, particularly to miniature schnauzers, which she had all through her life (as well as a few cats). There was always a place in her heart for Amy, Lucy, Peggy Sue, and most recently Molly.
Janet is survived by her nephew Evan Stoddard and his wife, Elizabeth, of Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania; her niece Leah Stoddard and her husband, Donald Stevenson, of Charlottesville, Virginia; grandnieces Caitlin, Riley; grandnephews Jeremy, Eliot, and Graham; and Cousin Ronald Boyd and his wife, Phyllis, of Hilton Head, South Carolina. She is also survived by her extended family of kind friends, including Sue, Chris, Gail, Nancy, Legjia, Michele, and Owen.
A celebration of life will be held at on June 13th at 11:00am at the Pleasant Plains Church, 2 Fiddlers Bridge Road, Staatsburg, NY.
A private interment will be held at Rosedale Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey, where Jan will rejoin her mother, father, and extended family.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made to the Dutchess County SPCA.
Condolences may be sent to the family at https://www.sweetsfuneralhome.com.
