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A Lifetime of Celebrating
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A LIFETIME OF CELEBRATING GPS REMEMBERING SHARON MILLS ’65
Sharon Mills ’65 Senior Photo
Many qualities stand out among GPS alumnae— a strong sense of purpose and community, self-confidence and, oftentimes, lifelong friendships with classmates and other alums. One woman stands out with her ongoing, lifetime support of the school and through her planned gift, contributing to the lasting legacy of an all-girls education at GPS.
While many alumnae continue their support of our school, Sharon Mills ’65, a 1996 Distinguished Alumna, leaves a legacy that will touch the lives of many.
Mills, a longtime Chattanooga resident and active civic leader, passed away on May 12, 2020. Over the course of her lifetime, she made significant financial contributions to the school, often anonymously, that supported multiple scholarship endowments and many other campaigns. She was a devoted champion of the school’s commitment to providing the best education for girls.
A GATHERER OF FRIENDS AND GPS ALUMNAE
Friends and family characterize Mills as passionate yet quiet in her support. Friend and former Trustee Joan Frierson ’60 recalls her fondly. While the two didn’t graduate together, they became friends during their involvement with the Board of Trustees at GPS and through the Hunter Museum of American Art. As Frierson says, Mills was a gatherer, opening her home to friends and welcoming groups of people.
“Sharon was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Frierson says. “She was fun and so passionate about her interests. She had myriad friends across different spectrums and age groups.” Among those age groups include GPS alumnae. As both Frierson and Mills’ brother, Olan Mills II, can attest, Mills’ friends and connections at GPS brought her great joy. Being much younger than her siblings, Sharon Mills found almost a second home at the school, both as a student and lifelong supporter.
“GPS gave her a sense of belonging,” Frierson says. “She was a champion of women, in a deeply supportive way, and she wanted women to have an opportunity to speak, to be heard, and to take a path they wanted to take.”
A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF WOMEN
A champion of women and girls, Mills remained a close ally of the school. She connected deeply with the values and traditions and supported other women through their GPS experiences. She served as a Trustee from 1988-91 and again from 2001-07, where she strived to provide insight and influence for GPS’s leaders, and the school honored her with a Distinguished Alumna Award in 1996, commending her dedicated work and support for GPS.
Mills chaired and served on numerous GPS Board of Trustees committees, including the Nominating Committee, the Search Committee for Head of School (which led to the hiring of Dr. Autumn A. Graves), and the Long-Range Planning Committee. She also chaired the effort to raise in excess of $110,000 for the formation of Tucker River Fellows to honor former GPS Head of School Randy Tucker, and she chaired the Annual Fund.
In addition to her support of her alma mater, Mills was an advocate of the arts. Throughout her lifetime she offered philanthropic support of the Hunter Museum of Art and the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera.
“Sharon had a place in her heart for the advancement of women, and of course she was fortunate to see a lot of that take place in her lifetime,” Olan Mills II says. “She was more interested in GPS than any of her other passions.”
After his sister’s passing, Olan says he began to hear from so many of Sharon’s friends who were connected to her from school. It was a big part of her life, as Olan recalls, and it was her first love.
“Sharon was a great sister, a kind and gentle person with a very charitable heart,” Olan Mills II says. “In her lifetime, she may not have liked recognition for her contributions, but I know she would like to be remembered for the way she felt about GPS.”
