Mildred Nowell

Burlington - Mildred Louise Riemann Nowell, 92, passed away peacefully to be with God as a new Angel on Monday, July 24, 2017 at Coble Creek Heath Care, Twin Lakes Community, following complications of two strokes. Mildred (Millie) leaves behind her loving husband of 70 years, Thomas W. Nowell; three devoted daughters-Cynthia Louise Nowell (and husband Steven Keating), of Alexandria, VA; Barbara Jean Nowell (and husband Mark Tenney) of Chapel, NC; and Sharon Patrice Nowell of Greensboro, NC; one adoring granddaughter, Katharine Nowell Keating of Alexandria, VA; one sister, Joyce Himka of Renton, WA. Mildred was pre-deceased by her father, Henry Riemann; her mother, Mildred Riemann; and two brothers, David Riemann and Donald Riemann.
Mildred was a graduate of Hackensack High School, Hackensack, NJ, and attended UNC-Greensboro. A patriotic citizen, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy WAVES during World War II, achieving the rank of Petty Officer First Class. A strong proponent of education, she sold World Book Encyclopedias to many local families during the pre-Internet era of the 1960s and 1970s.
Committed to community service, Mildred delivered Meals on Wheels to the Burlington area and donated twelve gallons of blood to the Red Cross. She also volunteered for many years at the Alamance Regional Medical Center, where she was the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee and the gift shop co-manager and buyer. An active member of the Church of the Holy Comforter in Burlington, Mildred worked on multiple committees and served as the leader of three different Girl Scout troops.
She received the first Girl Scouts Thanks Badge given to a Volunteer in Alamance County by the Tar Heel Triad Scout Council. This Award, given to adults for outstanding service, is the highest honor in Girl Scouting and must be approved by the Board of Directors. Mildred participated in almost every Scouting activity in Alamance County.
Mildred also received special recognition for Twenty years of outstanding service to the electoral process as a dedicated Alamance County Election Official. She served as a Republican Election Judge for Alamance County.
Mildred was an avid golfer for more than fifty years. She served as president of several different ladies golf associations, including the North Carolina Senior Women's Golf Association and the Alamance Country Club Ladies Golf Association, where she won the club championship. With her favorite golfing partner, Tom, she played golf in Hawaii, Canada, Bermuda, Jamaica, Scotland, and all over the continental U.S. She also volunteered for many years at the Greater Greensboro Open where she delighted in mingling with some of her favorite pro golfers, the highlight of which was scoring for Arnold Palmer.
Full of adventure and curiosity, Mildred delighted in traveling well into her 80s. She visited 49 of the 50 states and never failed to enjoy a beautiful sunset or a romantic full moon. She also enjoyed ceramics, sewing, knitting, walking, reading, bird watching, playing bridge with her bridge club, celebrating birthdays with her birthday club, hosting family celebrations and reunions, attending field trips with her granddaughter, sailing, snorkeling, camping and boogie-boarding at Myrtle Beach with her family, and always, always dancing with Tom.
An advocate of medical research, Mildred participated in the National Women's Health Initiative (1991-2002) because she hoped the findings would help doctors make better medical recommendations for her daughters. She also elected to donate her body to the Medical Sciences Teaching Laboratories, School of Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill, to support scientific study and research.
All the members of Mildred's family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Coble Creek Healthcare and Hospice of Alamance as well as the Twin Lakes Community for their loving care and compassion.
Memorial contributions may be made to Church of the Holy Comforter, 320 E. Davis Street, Burlington, NC 27215; and Hospice/Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215.
A celebration of life service will be conducted at 2:00 pm Saturday, August 12, 2017 at the Church of the Holy Comforter, 320 E. Davis Street, Burlington, NC.

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