MILLICENT RUTH SWISLER CLEMENT

January 19, 1936- October 8, 2022

It is with great sadness that our family shares the news of the death of our mother, Milly, after a brief illness. She was 86. While her health had declined toward the end of her life, she kept her positive outlook right to the end. Mom spent her last years living near Cathy in Media, Pennsylvania. Family visited often, including her great grandchildren that lived nearby. We would like to share this remembrance…

A skein of yarn, a warm fire, children asleep on a long drive. These simple memories are a comfort because they are the ones that made her happy.

Millicent Ruth Swisler Clement was born at St. Albans hospital on January 19th, 1936. She was welcomed into the snowy family home in Sheldon, Vermont by her mother and father, Elizabeth Brown Swisler, and Dr. Frederick Fisher Swisler, as well as a sister, Elizabeth Louise. Later, the family would grow to include Mary Susan and would relocate to a picturesque Queen Anne style house in St. Albans.

Our mother and her beloved sisters grew up living the life of a country doctor’s girls. They learned about dedication to community, caring for the sick, and the joy of new lives coming into the world. Our mother was always matter of fact about the fragility of health and life and the simultaneous joy of being alive. She cherished family and dedicated her life to us, her children, and all the other children whose lives she would touch over the years.

Mom graduated from Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans. In her senior yearbook she shared her life goal, “to be happy;” she found happiness and shared it with all those around her.

She attended Pembroke college, the sister college to Brown University, but soon made the transition to train to be a nurse, attending Royal Victoria Hospital school of nursing in Montreal.

And then her life path changed again, perhaps to the surprise and apprehension of her parents when she met a handsome young military man at the nearby air force base with an MG midget convertible and a doberman in the passenger seat. Mom married Warren Jackson Clement on December 28th, 1957 in a St. Albans snowstorm. The couple relocated to College Station Texas so Dad could attend Texas A & M. She put her nurse’s training on hold and welcomed daughter number one, Catherine Elizabeth. Among Cathy’s first words were “Howdy Partner,” a story we loved to hear again and again.  Daughter number two, Becky Ellen  arrived during Dad's final semester as an Aggie.

Then it was time to move east again and the family grew to six with the births Warren Jackson Jr, and Amy Lynn. Our family settled in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Here, Mom completed her degree in early childhood education and established Rhythm Rhyme Nursery School. Mom had found her calling: to foster growth and joy in the lives of little ones.

These were memory filled years for us. Mom loved nothing more than to pack us up on a snowy morning for a day of skiing at the Mt. Greylock Ski Club or spread out on the living room floor with scissors, felt, and glue to make Christmas ornaments by the fireplace.

Vermont was always the family meeting place with Mary’s and Betty’s families. At Birch Point, there were always cookouts, swimming, and favorite songs around the player piano. Mom and Dad welcomed friends to watch red sunsets over the lake and share stories from the years that passed. She treasured these memories, as do we.

Our mom marked the years joyfully with the birth of every niece and nephew, great niece and nephew and 10 lucky grandchildren. Times with Nana, taking walks with the dogs, and perhaps making some monkey bread were so special for her and them. The grandchildren remember when they were at camp, if they got up early enough, they were able to go out to breakfast with Nana and Papa at The Wagon Wheel where they could have anything they wanted, and hot chocolate too. She was always there to take care of the kids whenever needed, meeting them after school and as a caregiver when they were sick.

In 1987, Mom and Dad made the move to Hollis NH where she connected with a new community and taught at Hollis preschool until her retirement in 1999.

When health problems struck both Dad and Mom, Mom faced them with resolute courage. She took care of Dad through the trials of Parkinson’s Disease and faced her own difficult times as well. After two major brain surgeries for a benign tumor, she quietly and determinedly reclaimed her strength and mobility while still being the same Mom and Nana who was always there for us. Forever positive and attentive, she always seemed to ground herself in the love of family.

After our Dad’s death in 2004, Mom decided to accompany Amy and family to Phoenix, AZ and lived there for 12 years. She faced this big change with enthusiasm and settled into a new home. Helping to raise the youngest of her grandchildren, she volunteered at Amy’s school and enjoyed many warm days on her front porch with friends.

When she moved back east, she chose to be near Cathy and family in Media, PA. She visited our “camp” in the summers and enjoyed many visits with kids and grandkids.

Milly is survived by

Sisters

Elizabeth Swisler Hale of El Dorado Hills, California

Mary Swisler Bostwick of St Albans, Vermont

Children

Cathy Redding (and Andrew) of Media Pennsylvania

Becky Christie (and Marc) of Freeport, Maine

Jackie Clement (and Susan Daniel) of Henniker, New Hampshire

Amy Clement (and Jim Holbert) of Phoenix, Arizona

Grandchildren

Brandon Redding (and Karin Burghardt) of University Park, Maryland

Caitlin Redding (and Keri Dorko) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Schuyler Redding (and Sara) of Chadds Ford,Pennsylvania

Moriah Christie of Portland, Maine

Sawyer Christie (and Jenny) of Gray, Maine

Christopher Clement (and Kerry) of Framingham, Massachusetts

Jeffrey Clement of Boston, Massachusetts

Jacklyn Clement Kusterman (and Adam) of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jossalyn Holbert (and Payton Davenport) of Phoenix, Arizona

Tobin Holbert of Phoenix, Arizona

And two step grandchildren

Maggie Daniel of New Haven, Connecticut

Siôn Daniel of Santa Cruz, California

Three great granddaughters

Aria Redding (daughter of Schuyler and Sara)

Kira Redding (daughter of Schuyler and Sara)

Tavi Redding (daughter of Caitlin and Keri)

And many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews…

A celebration of life will be held at Birch Point in the summer 2023. Mom’s ashes will be added to Dad’s memorial garden looking out over Fairfield Pond. 

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