July 4, 1925 – May 3, 2026

Thelma Mildred Bailey [Clancy Richardson] Whitt
July 4th, 1925 – May 3rd, 2026

Millie passed away at Veterans Care Center in Rifle on May 3rd, 2026, of natural causes. She was 100 years old.

Millie was born in Grand Valley on July 4th, 1925, to Thelma Hildred and Thomas Earl Bailey. She spent her first years on their ranch a few miles up Parachute Creek. Her pioneer grandparents, Martha Alice and Thomas Ewing Bailey lived on a nearby ranch. Thomas Bailey is known for homesteading the now famous tourist attraction, Hanging Lake, in the late 1800’s.
Later, her family moved to town, residing close to Grand Valley School. She attended school in Grand Valley, graduating from there, but even at a young age she wanted to live in Rifle. She recalled riding a bus to Rifle whenever she could with her girlfriends.
As was accustomed to the times, Millie married young, in June of 1942. Her first husband, William John Clancy, known to all as ‘Jack Clancy’ had medical issues that kept him from enlisting in World War II. The couple were blessed with four boys; Gary, Jack, Dennis, and William ‘Bill’ Clancy. The day before Millie and Jack were to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary, Jack died of a brain aneurism, leaving Millie a widow with four small boys, the youngest son not even two months old.
Millie was soon to be wed a second time to George Richardson, a long time trusted and true friend to the family. George joined the family with his son, Raymond Richardson. Ray lived with them in Rifle off and on but mostly was raised by his mother who resided in California. In 1954, G. Lynn Richardson was born, completing the family.
George and Millie worked hard and raised their family. Millie was skilled at her occupation of being a full-time mother and wife. The boys were well taken care of with George and Millie’s determination that the family would be well fed, clothed, clean, and know how to work. As was custom, the young men knew how to get along in nature. The family did a lot of picnicking, fishing, and hunting, with an occasional Sunday drive thrown in. Unfortunately, George passed of a cardiac arrest in February of 1972, leaving Millie widowed a second time.
With the thankful return of three of Millie’s sons from Vietnam, and the other two sons ready to get on with their adult life, Millie had time to work out of the home. She worked at Gambles in downtown Rifle as a clerk. In the mid 1970’s, her friend Vy Sly coaxed Millie into opening a fabric store, The Ladies Realm, on 3rd Street in downtown Rifle. Millie easily managed the store, sewing and crocheting for clients that she accumulated while being a home maker. She also became quite the volunteer in Rifle both at the Women’s Auxiliary at the Rifle hospital and the Senor Center. Millie’s hands were never found without a crochet needle while she was sitting down in the afternoons or evening. Crafts of all kinds were part of Millie’s life. She made hundreds of Christmas ornaments and embroidered tea towels just for ‘everyday use’. All her sons had afghans for their beds, crocheted sweaters, scarfs, and mittens. Not having any daughters, Millie enjoyed making the ‘girly stuff’ for other mother’s daughters.
With her family grown, Millie was sought after by a man who was also a widower, Raymond Whitt. They found that they liked to go for rides, picnics, fish, camp, and snow mobile, yes, snowmobile. Ray and Millie were wed November 15th, 1975, and had almost a twenty-five-year marriage when Ray passed in October of 2000 at the age of 82. The years the couple had together produced many grandchildren, and finally, Millie had girls to sew and crochet for.
Having been widowed three times, Millie now spent her time volunteering, sewing, and crocheting. She was brilliant at crossword puzzles. She loved her family, both the family she grew up in and her family resulting from marriage. Her sons respected her deeply and tried their best to keep her in her own home as she aged, but at the age of 98 it was clear to Millie and her sons that she needed more help. Millie found a new family at the Veterans Care Center in Rifle where she has resided for the last two years.
Millie’s fondest memories were the large family gatherings for a picnic or a holiday meal. Having been born on the 4th of July, Millie never felt like she was celebrating her birthday. But the truth is, her birthday had brought all her sons, their wives and children back to the matriarch of the family every July 4th.
The last few years, Millie was often heard saying, “Oh, what a life.” Born just before the Great Depression and having gone through two World Wars, Millie knew what it was like to be frugal and realistic. Millie had a young love, a practical love, and a companionable love in her three husbands, and she lost them all. Also, preceding her in death were her mother, father, and five siblings. More recently, she lost a dear daughter-in-law, Wendy Clancy (Bill), her son Gary Clancy, stepson Ray Richardson, and just last fall her, her son Jack Clancy who visited her daily at the VA, sitting with her from afternoon through evening.
Millie will be missed by her sons, Dennis Clancy, Bill Clancy, and Lynn Richardson (Katherine), her nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren, her nieces and nephews, and her newest friends and family at the Veterans Care Center.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Veterans Care Center.