Carmen Louise Snoke Mills, born in 1929, died peacefully at her home on 01/06/2017. Born in Indianapolis Indiana, to Harmon Enterline Snoke and Velma Lee Duncan, she graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Fine Art.

Carmen was a child of the depression and a teenager during World War II, and was strengthened by both. During those years and after she lived Larchmont NY and Washington DC in addition to Indianapolis, Syracuse, and many other places, until she made her lifetime home in Canton, CT with her husband Morris Shipley Mills and 3 children, John Shipley (Jack) Mills, Daniel Harmon Mills and Jennifer Leigh (Mills) Hartzell.

“High Hopes” was one of many songs she sang to her children. “Jabberwocky” and “In Just Spring” were among the many poems she delightedly quoted to them. She made the Golden Rule a foundation stone for her family.

Carmen was predeceased by her husband in 1966. Her strength was crucial in the following months, as she reassured her children that things would be alright and as she remade her life. She returned to school and became an art teacher, first in the Granby School system and then at Canton High School, where she had a long and rewarding career. From strong connections with many students to long nights tending the kiln with her students’ pottery and making silkscreened posters for Canton’s plays and musicals, to joyously attending gallery openings where past students’ art was featured, she loved it all.
After her children went to college, Carmen learned that Samantha Duyen Hoang was in need of some support and a home for a while and gladly provided this for her.

After her retirement from teaching in 1990, Carmen spent much of her time with her grandchildren. She also devoted a great deal of her life to The Canton Emergency Fuel Bank, which she helped to found in 1979 and for which she served as chairman until 2008. Carmen was adamant that not a penny of donations would go to anything but Fuel assistance for those in need, and she worked diligently to ensure that the costs of the annual appeal mailings were donated by the printer and that the postage was paid by Collinsville Savings Society. She was also very active in the Canton Center Congregational Church, Focus on Canton, Canton Food Bank, and the annual CROP walk. Additionally, she volunteered to teach English to refugees that were sponsored by the Canton Center Church.

Carmen loved animals of all sorts - a spotted salamander whose terrarium graced her counter for many years, cats and dogs on which she lavished attention, spiders and snakes which she considered beautiful, and a porcupine she came to see after Jack and Dan encountered it in the woods - all of them brought her joy.

The family would like to express deep gratitude to Vernette King-Gardener, who has provided a positive and caring environment and has been an excellent support to Carmen and her family.

Carmen leaves behind her three children and their spouses, Jack Mills and his wife Ellen Caracciolo, Dan Mills and his wife Patricia, and Jennifer (Mills) Hartzell and her husband David Hartzell. She also leaves her grandchildren Christopher Caracciolo Mills and his wife Amy, Maria Elizabeth (Mills) Leshner and her husband Scott Leshner, Nicole Carmen Mills, Natalie Alvera (Mills) Moore and her husband Anthony Moore, Emily Louise (Hartzell) Ashton and her husband Michel Ashton, and Samuel David Hartzell. She leaves two new great grandchildren, Jackson Cohen Mills and James Michael Leshner.

A Celebration of Carmen's life is scheduled for March 4th at 11:00am at the Canton Center Congregational Church in Canton Center, CT. In lieu of Gifts, please provide donations to those organizations that Carmen supported. Donations made out to “Focus On Canton Inc” may be sent to PO Box 853, Canton CT 06019-0853. Donations made out to Canton Emergency Fuel Bank “CEFB” may be sent to Collinsville Savings Society, c/o CEFB, P.O. Box 350, Canton, CT 06019.