Obituary of Mildred Lillian Pitcher

Mildred Lillian Pitcher (Hose)

Rochester and Conesus NY; Born in Rochester, NY on December 28, 1922.  Passed away June 20, 2020. Pre-deceased by her beloved husband - Donald Clinton Pitcher, parents - Granville and Marie Hose, sister – Evelyn Haupt and many dear cousins and friends.

Mildred is survived by her sons – David (Mary Anne), Daniel (Dr. Marci Mendola-Pitcher), Grandchildren – Dr. Donald (Lauren), David (fiancé Evelyn), Melanie and Matthew, Great Grandchild – Amelia.  Her Grandchildren meant the world to her.

Known to all as Nana or Millie, Mildred touched so many with her kind-hearted, patient and loving soul. Most of her life, Mildred cared for others with a devotion to family and a dedicated work ethic. She was a child of the Great Depression Era and a proud graduate of St. Mary’s Commercial School. Mildred’s employment included Hickok Manufacturing and Ritter Manufacturing. She married the love of her life Don after WW II, and started her family in the Swillburg Neighborhood. After caring for her sick husband for many years, Mildred was fortunate to work as a caregiver to many, such as the Arch Merrill family, the Bachman family and Louis S Wolk.

Mildred’s dedication to her family is her legacy. As the matriarch, Mildred could never say no to anyone in need. Spending over 40 years on the shores of Conesus Lake, she had a passion for nature and watching the children grow. Only a few years ago, Mildred began struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease. We would like to thank The Lodge at Wolk Manor for memory care assisted living and the nurses at URMC 5-1600 who helped Mildred with the dignity she always exhibited for others.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to: Livingston Cares attn - Home Away from Home 1 College Circle, College Union 354 Geneseo, NY 14454 Or McQuaid Jesuit 1800 South Clinton Ave Rochester, NY 14618.

A Grandson’s Reflection:

Nana taught us all the value of faith, hard work, and family. Nana certainly did not have an easy life, but she savored the things that really mattered. She was a Devout Catholic and often turned to the intercessions of St. Jude and Father Baker. There was nothing more important to her than time with her family and she would do anything for her family. She couldn't have been prouder of her sons Dan and Dave. With what little she had, she put her sons through school at McQuaid. Family time was so important to her, she bought a boat to go fishing on Canadice and Hemlock and then found a way to buy a cottage on Conesus Lake as a place for her family to spend time together. She invited Mary Anne and Marci into her family and treated them like daughters. Her grandchildren, Donald with his wife Lauren, David with his fiance Evelyn, Melanie, and Matthew, meant the world to her. She was truly was great and became a great grandmother last year with the birth of her great granddaughter Amelia who she wanted nothing better than to rock and hold just like she rocked and held all of her babies when they were little. In her later years, before going to the Jewish home, she moved down to Conesus permanently. She loved it so much and felt that it was heaven on earth, not just because of the beauty of the lake, but also because her sons and their families lived on either side of her, which meant lots of time for family. She was always up for a meal together. We used to joke that she ran a bed and breakfast. She made sure that people knew that she had 4 bedrooms upstairs and 1 bedroom downstairs and that everyone was always welcome to stay with her. She loved having her whole family together. There was always plenty of bacon (at least 1 pound regardless of whether people were on a diet or not) at Sunday breakfasts at Nana's. Even during the week, she would have a pot of coffee and whatever you wanted for breakfast ready. She was always interested in what her children and especially her grandchildren were up to. In Nana's eyes, her grandchildren could never do anything wrong. And really, we couldn't get in trouble when we were with her, because Nana was so good to us and loved us so much. When we went fishing, she would be watching out the window, sitting on the deck, or sitting on the porch downstairs waiting with excitement to find out if we caught anything. She loved sitting and reminiscing about old stories. She enjoyed watching Lawrence Welk in the evening, but she was always up for a game of euchre. It was never Nana who called it quits, and she never refused playing just one more game. She truly valued her time and made the most of her 97.5 years.

 

Fun Nana Facts:

She used to make banana and mayonnaise sandwiches Her bacon french toast was the best She loved outhouses and lighthouses She was a ruthless Chinese checker player and never let anyone win She loved battery operated toys, and would laugh when she played them, telling us how much she liked them and say, "I know, you probably think I'm nuts."

She was always up for an adventure, and loved finding dirt roads to drive down She drove a bulldozer while wearing white pants when she was 89 years old

 

It was hard to see her suffer through Alzheimer's, but what was most remarkable about her is that her gentleness and kindness, and love for people never faded. She made so many wonderful friends throughout her life. She loved sitting and telling stories and you could never tell how many struggles she had, because she was just so grateful for all that God had given her. She lived her life how Jesus taught us to live. Time was always precious for Nana, she always found the good in things, and she certainly never came empty handed.