Grace Marie Mills (Thomas), 91, of Tacoma, Washington, passed away at home on October 19, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, George Everett Mills, in 2014. Preceding her also were her parents, Naomi, in 1965, and George, in 1977. Her younger brother Kenneth died in 1950.

Surviving are her children, Dennis, Linda (Brieger), and Susan, all of Tacoma, along with her 'other' daughter, Donna, of University Place, and her grandchildren, Alex Brieger of Bend, OR, Ben Brieger of Tacoma, WA, and Chaz Mills (Brittany Crawford) of Canton, GA.

Grace attended Stanley Elementary and McCarver Middle School(s). She graduated from Lincoln High School in the Class of 1951.

She attended Bates Vocational School for courses in typing, office machines, and bookkeeping.

She was employed as a bookkeeper by W. H. Opie Real Estate Co. in downtown Tacoma from 1952 to 1956.

She left the workforce in 1956 to become a full-time homemaker and mother to their young family.

She returned to working as a bookkeeper in the Food Service office at the University of Puget Sound from 1969 to 1996.

She and her husband, George, met on a blind date at a Tacoma Rockets hockey game in 1953. They were married six months later.

George and Grace loved camping and introduced their children to it at a young age. They tent camped all over Washington. They ate 'smokey toast' at Sequim Bay State Park and stayed at Iron Springs Resort. A resort neighbor took the kids clam digging, but once we were done and back at the resort, we took the clams back over to him, as nobody in the family liked them.

We traveled down the Oregon coast one year, and it seemed like we had twelve flat tires. It was actually only six, but it was the same tire each time. Eventually, Mom and Dad graduated to a pickup truck canopy, then to a camper, then to a 5th-wheel, and then a motorhome before they gave up camping completely and started staying in hotels.

Grace served as a Den Leader in Cub Scouts for Dennis and in Girl Scouts for Linda and Susan.

Grace and George's vacations soon became whatever State Park their son Dennis was working in as a Ranger for Washington State Parks (Ocean City, Central Ferry, and Twenty-Five Mile Creek.)

Grace and Dennis traveled to Rochester, NY one year while she attended training for the college. That trip culminated with a weeklong adventure in New York City.

Dennis also traveled with his parents on their trips to Hawaii and Washington, DC.

Grace was a member of the University of Puget Sound Women's League. She served as treasurer from 1997 to 2003 and president from 2004 to 2007. She was chair of the flea market in 2011 and 2012 and served many years on the scholarship committee.

The family would like to thank the MultiCare Hospice team of Gina, Cady, Leah, Dana, and Aura for providing care to Grace the past couple of months.

The family wishes to express extreme thanks to Mom's caregiver, Robin. We don't know how we would have managed without her.

A memorial service will take place on Friday, November 21, at 1:00 p.m., at Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 N. Madison Street, Tacoma, WA 98407.

In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest donations to Mason United Methodist Church.