Michelle Suzanne Millard

Michelle Millard, aged 55, suddenly and tragically passed in her sleep on August 20th. She suffered from unexpected cardiac arrest in her home in Tallahassee, Florida. Michelle was surely with her cat, Lucy, who loved to sleep on the bed with her every night. Lucy has a new home with Michelle’s cat-loving mother, Jo Ann. Michelle is survived by: her son, Jake, mother, Jo Ann, and brother, Matt (Shannon). Michelle loved nothing more in the world than her only child, Jake. She made every effort possible to make Jake’s life the best that she could. Her favorite memories involved traveling to new and exciting places with Jake, like Acadia National Park in Maine. Outside of traveling together, Michelle loved simple things like visiting him in Boston and seeing the grown man she raised and loved so dearly. Michelle always made sure to show Jake at every opportunity the magnitude of her unconditional love, including on a touching phone call just a week before her passing. We should all be so lucky as to hear how proud and loving our dearest are in our final interaction. As her family well knows, Michelle loved to scrapbook. She catalogued precious memories through delicate arts and crafts, creating beautiful works that her family and future generations can enjoy. Michelle loved cooking (and certainly cooking shows), baking, trying new foods, and most importantly, receiving pictures of new recipes her son tried. Jake even got Michelle to enjoy shows she might never have watched otherwise, like Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, and Squid Game. She looked forward to season two of House of the Dragon. Spare her a thought, if you end up watching it. Michelle lost her husband, Jay, to a hard fight with brain cancer in 2012. It was one of the most difficult times of her life, but Michelle was always there for her husband - even on the long trips from Tallahassee to Duke University for experimental treatment. In Jake’s childhood, Michelle sacrificed her career to become a stay at home mom, a move she never regretted as it meant spending more time with her son. As years went on, financial hardships required Michelle to re-enter the workforce, where she struggled to find a place that matched her skillset. Leading up to her passing, Michelle worked demanding hours at a bank job where she was taken for granted. The stress generated by the long hours and inadequate pay undoubtedly contributed to her undiscovered heart disease, as Michelle always took care of herself - going to the gym multiple times a week. Our society forces us to make the impossible choice between our finances and our health. Those close to Michelle know she would choose to go through all her hardships again, if it meant her beloved son could live his best life, but that reality scarcely eases the pain. To the people that knew Michelle as a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend, please join the celebration of Michelle’s life at Amelia Oaks Clubhouse on September 23rd, 11am-2pm. The address is 4330 Terebinth Trail, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Please bring along fond memories of Michelle that you may share with everyone. The family is being assisted by James Sircy and Jackie Fulford of Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory, Tallahassee, Florida. 850.610.4444

Michelle Suzanne Millard

February 12, 1968 - August 21, 2023