Doris A. Milla went home to the Lord on August 21, 2020.
Doris was born in Trenton, New Jersey on April 15, 1931. She graduated from St. Mary's Cathedral High School in 1949.
She attended secretarial school and worked for Gould National Battery, where she met her husband, Joe. They were married on November 10, 1951 in Trenton. Joe's career meant transfers to Eau Claire, WI; St. Paul, MN; Chicago, Philadelphia and back to St. Paul. With each move, Doris made sure every new house felt like home inside and out, planting beautiful gardens which she called "therapy" wherever she lived.
Doris was the mom who made sure her home could pass any white-glove test for cleanliness, the kids' homework was always finished and dinners prepared with meat, potatoes and Green Giant vegetables. She always claimed to be an awful cook, yet her children all have their favorite recipes, including the famous Bacardi rum cake that was probably inappropriate to give her children. But hey, it was the 1960s.
A devout Catholic, she was committed to her parish communities, volunteering for all the church and school fundraisers. Her family was trained to know homemade cookies and brownies on the kitchen counter were off-limits since they were meant for the school bake sale, where we would just buy them back.
Wednesdays meant golfing in the summer and bowling in the winter with her friends in the church's Women's Leagues, which seemed to be the only time she ever did anything for herself.
The family attended Mass on Saturday nights so that Sunday mornings could be reserved for the early tee times at Goodrich Golf Course in Maplewood. For years, she loved that time golfing with her husband and kids, and for the burgers on the grill Joe would cook afterwards.
She was the grandmother who attended every play, concert and soccer game she could, beaming at her grandchildren's joy and grateful that she had been blessed with the smartest, most talented grandson and granddaughter in the world. She conquered e-mail and even FaceTime in order to stay up-to-date on their lives.
Doris was a fan of the arts, with season tickets to many of the theater productions and concerts the Twin Cities has to offer. A visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum lasted for hours, as she could identify every flower and tree and tell you if she had ever planted any of them in her own gardens. In recent years, she took up painting and coloring, and her pictures of flowers are glorious works of art.
After her husband died, she moved to Cerenity Care - Marian Center of Saint Paul, where she quickly made friends with her warm smile and generous spirit, volunteering at daily Mass, residents' funerals or taking communion to those who couldn't make it to Mass on their own.
Doris's mornings started with her cup of tea and New York Times Crossword puzzle, which she finished every day. She spent her final days still sharp as a tack, and at peace with the thought of leaving this life and starting a new one in Heaven with her husband Joe already there to greet her.
Due to Covid-19, a celebration of Doris's life will be held when it is safe to do so. Memorials preferred to Cerenity Senior Care - Marian of Saint Paul.