PORTLAND – Mildred “Millie” DeSantis Thiboutot, 96, passed away comfortably surrounded by her children, Sunday morning, Feb. 6, 2022. Born July 28, 1925, in Portland to Teresa (Caprio) and Henry DeSantis, Mildred was the oldest of six siblings.

A graduate of Portland High School, class of 1943, Millie met her husband, Leo Thiboutot, at a mutual friend’s wedding and apparently, they hit it off. They married in September 1948 and together raised six children. Millie and her husband established their home and grew their family in the East Deering neighborhood of Portland before moving to North Yarmouth in 1977. Once fully retired, she enjoyed a Snowbird lifestyle living in Cumberland during the summer and Lecanto, Fla. over the winter. She returned fulltime to Portland in 2016.

Millie was a political junkie much to the delight and dismay of her children and grandchildren. Millie kept her mind sharp by reading. She read the newspapers cover to cover before discovering “the I-pad.” If she asked you if you heard about a particular event or news story and you inquired about where she heard or read it, the answer was “it’s on the I-pad!” because “the I-pad” as well as the remote had to be frequently “fixed” and the “fixers” were not always readily available, she continued to read every paper, periodical and pamphlet delivered to her door and many, many books. Millie frequently saved interesting articles to share with her kids and grands so they would “know what’s going on” too. She never missed the evening news reports followed by a swift channel change to Jeopardy, and the Hallmark station.

Millie, a lifelong bowling enthusiast, spent many years on local bowling leagues and also loved travelling to tournaments across the county. Although winning a tournament was never in the cards, she did bowl one 300 game! She also dabbled in crafts with her friends, (think ceramic Christmas trees) and much to her children’s surprise, enjoyed weekly libations and card games with friends. Always civic minded over the years Millie was an active PTA mom while in Portland and a scrutinizing member of the North Yarmouth Town Budget Committee.

Millie liked to be involved and volunteered, pro bono, as unofficial events manager for family gatherings. Monitoring who was attending and if not, why not, was a frequent topic of discussion eagerly avoided by all. She never missed an event, and her children were held to the same standard – even if they didn’t remember or know the distant relative getting married.

As a testament to her thoughtfulness, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews all received birthday and anniversary cards typically arriving one day in advance of their special day. If her birthday card processing assistants didn’t get the cards mailed on time, well that was best avoided.

Her work history includes many years as a manager in the catalog department at Sears-Roebuck, the L.L.Bean call center, a part time cashier at Shaw’s in Falmouth, and as a medical office manager until her retirement.

Millie dedicated herself to saying her morning prayers, afternoon prayers, evening prayers and multiple daily rosaries for the benefit of all. When no longer able to personally attend mass, she followed the masses and programs on EWTN. She was grateful for her good friend and political buddy who was also her Eucharistic minister and delivered communion when she couldn’t go to church. She always had religious materials, boxes of mass cards at the ready, medals and scapulars on hand with a bottle or two of holy water. Dedicated to the cause, no one was going anywhere but up on her watch. She was a decades long communicant of St. Peters Church in Portland, and later a member of Holy Martyrs Church in Falmouth.

She was a great character that we all admired for her fortitude and fight to survive. She didn’t require or need affirmation of her beliefs, lifestyle or decisions. She was solid in knowing who she was and why the things important to her mattered for her but more importantly, for you. Everything she did was for the benefit of her children, grandkids and extended family and friends. She has the earned privilege to go to God in peace.

Predeceased by her parents; husband, Leo; her great-grandson, Isaiah MaKonnen; sisters Gloria DeSantis and Connie Giordano; daughter-in-law, Judith Della Valle.

Survived by her children Francis Thiboutot of Falmouth, Janet Thiboutot and her husband Phillip Gignac of Portland, Rita Thiboutot Feeney and her partner Gilbert Cook of Deltona, Fla., Joseph Thiboutot of Portland, Steven Thiboutot and his partner Ann Bleck of Hampton, N.H., April Thiboutot Ross and her husband Scott Ross of Kennebunk Beach. She’s also survived by 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; her sister, Nancy Ciccone, her brothers Henry DeSantis and Robert DeSantis, all of Massachusetts; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visiting hours for Mildred will be held Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Jones, Rich and Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland, ME 04103. A Mass of Christian Burial will occur Thursday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 72 Federal St., Portland, followed by a committal service at New Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

You may offer your condolences or share your memories at http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com

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