Alice Cash Mills, 78, of Hutchinson, died August 15, 2021, in Denver, Colorado. She was born April 28, 1943, in Mexico, Missouri, to Juanita (Gribble) and Billy Jim Cash. Alice graduated from Abilene High School in 1961, and went on to earn a BA in Art Education from the University of Kansas in 1965.
While at KU, Alice was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, where she met many life-long friends. It was also at KU where she met her husband, William Merrill Mills III. They were married July 10, 1965, and shared 52 years of marriage before he passed away in 2018.
Alice loved teaching and making art. She could often be found with a sketchbook and colored pencils drawing in her garden. Alice curated a full, colorful life in which she enjoyed her family, gardening, painting, drawing, quilting, and knitting. Alice will be remembered for the ever-present twinkle in her eyes and her ability to capture the beauty of everyday life, whether it be through a colored-pencil drawing, a watercolor painting, or a quilted or knitted piece. She delighted in sharing her talents with those she cared about.
Alice is survived by: her children, Alyssa Mills of Hutchinson, Hilary Lindsey and husband Troy of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, William Mills of Austin, Texas, James Mills and wife Molly of Denver, Colorado; grandchildren, Nathalie, Allabelle, Claire, and Eleanor Lindsey, Finley, Lucy, and Anna James Mills; and brothers, Frank Cash and partner Stephen McCoy of San Francisco, California, and Dale Cash of Enterprise, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Billy Jim and Juanita Cash.
Cremation has taken place. Friends may sign her book from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at Elliott Mortuary. Because of Alice’s love for the arts, the family invites friends to gather together for a time of celebrating and remembering Alice’s life between 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday, August 21, 2021, at the Hutchinson Art Center, 405 N. Washington St., Hutchinson. To protect our young and most vulnerable, the family requests masks be worn.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Dillon Nature Center, TECH, or the Kansas Honors Scholars Program, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.