Savannah – Dido J. Christian Mills, 83, died peacefully in her sleep on Sept. 10, 2017. She was born at her family's Fair Oaks, Georgia, farm on June 4, 1934. She was the eldest daughter of Hugh Mason Christian of Decatur, Georgia, and Katharyne Jones Christian of Albany, Georgia. She was preceded in death by her two sisters, Daphne and Diana; and brother, Thor.
Dido graduated with honors from Smyrna High School in 1951. She received a B.A. in English from Georgia State College for Women at Milledgeville and began teaching high school English in Kingsland, Georgia. In 1956, she married James H. Mills and had three children, James F. Mills, Edward Hilton Mills and Elizabeth A. Mills. They lived in Savannah and were married 18 years. She taught at Richard Arnold High School, then stayed home to raise her children. In 1977, she moved to Wayne County, Georgia, and joined the Screven Church of God, where she spent many years volunteering in her church and community. In 1997, she moved to Lyons, Georgia, where she was a consumer and then Peer Support Specialist with Pineland Mental Health. In 2008, Dido returned to Savannah to be closer to her children. Spending her later years at Wisteria Gardens in Pooler and then Westview Nursing Home in Port Wentworth. While at Wisteria Gardens, Dido worked with students from West Chatham Elementary School's gifted program. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandson, Joshua Upchurch. They had a special connection, and she was extremely proud of him.
Dido, an educator at heart, loved teaching and learning. She was an avid reader and enjoyed crossword puzzles. She was well-rounded and loved watching Atlanta Braves games, playing piano, crocheting, needlepoint, bird watching, and gardening. Dido was a woman of deep, unwavering faith in God. She will be dearly missed by her family and many other people she knew throughout her life. Flowers and/or plants may be sent to Strickland Funeral Home in Pooler. Alternatively, donations to The American Red Cross for Hurricane Harvey and Irma Relief may be made in her name.
Survivors include her children, James Frederick Mills (Ricki Lee Kopper Mills) and Elizabeth Anne Mills (fiancé, Calum Trotter); grandson, Joshua Edward Upchurch; nieces, Darren and Summer; and several cousins, including, Elizabeth Christian Jackson, and Eden Jackson Landow.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. at Strickland Funeral Home in Pooler, Georgia. Funeral services will be Sunday, Sept. 17 at 10 am in the funeral home chapel with burial at 2 p.m. at Union Hill Cemetery in Pearson, Georgia.

Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Home
West Chatham Chapel
Pooler, Georgia