Norfolk Firefighter Honors His Wife’s Legacy by Endowing the Sharon K. Mills Graduate Teaching Scholarship in Special Education

Sharon Mills earned her Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University in 1975, the first in her family to pursue a college degree. Sharon had long felt that education was her calling. With the skills gained from her time at ODU, she dedicated herself to helping those who struggled in a standard classroom setting or who followed nontraditional education paths. Sharon had a profound impact on the lives of countless students, a number of whom attended and shared stories at her memorial service in 2018. This scholarship is dedicated in her memory so that Sharon’s passion for education can be carried on to future generations.

Jim Mills met Sharon while she was completing her master’s degree and he was working as a firefighter at Norfolk Station #10. He knew immediately she was the love of his life and was determined to never let her go. The couple wed in 1974, on the anniversary of the day they met. The two settled in Norfolk, where Jim still resides. The house they bought provided space for Sharon and Jim to cultivate their shared love of gardening, turning the entire backyard into a field so bountiful that, even after they had eaten, canned and frozen their fill, there was plenty to share with neighbors. The yard also became home to the first of many litters of Boston Terriers that filled the house with joy and boundless energy.

Sharon began her career as a public school teacher. During her time as a special education teacher in the Chesapeake School system, a job that split her time between different high schools, Sharon met Marlene Garfin. Marlene saw Sharon’s potential and soon offered her a job at the tutoring agency Marlene founded. Jim enthusiastically supported Sharon’s career and converted their garage into office space. There she was able to work one-on-one with each student and tailor the tutoring sessions around their needs. She poured her heart into her students and would work late into the night to ensure they had all the resources they needed to reach their full potential. Her dedication to the students helped the tutoring agency thrive and, in only a year, Sharon had become head of the tutoring agency. Under her watch, the business grew further, expanding at its peak to include six additional tutors. She continued her work at the agency for the remainder of her life. Even after her breast cancer diagnosis, Sharon continued to work with her students for as long as she was physically able. Seeing her students grow and overcome their perceived limits was the greatest joy for Sharon.

Sharon and Jim passed their commitment to education and work ethic on to their two children, Heather and Jason. Buoyed by the love and support of their parents, both siblings have built fulfilling lives following their own callings. Today, Heather and her husband, Scott, live in Connecticut with their three children, Claire, Gwen and Hayden. Heather has a full-time job in the market research industry and her husband is an architect. Their family is heavily involved with the Scouts and enjoys camping, canoeing, hiking and other outdoor adventures. Jason lives with his husband, Matt, in the District of Columbia. Jason works as an environmental engineer, and Matt owns his own consulting firm. They are loyal Washington Nationals fans and attend games whenever the opportunity arises.

Together, the family agreed the best way to honor Sharon’s life was a scholarship that would provide educational opportunities to future ODU students. To that end, Jim has included ODU in his estate plans to fund The Sharon K. Mills Graduate Teaching Scholarship.

Jim recently toured the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies with Dean Tammi Dice and shared his plans to begin funding Sharon’s scholarship. Dean Dice said, “Jim, it’s the generosity of individuals like you that are helping address the teacher shortage by providing the access to education needed to prepare future teachers who will ultimately make a positive impact on our communities and our future generations.”

If you want to give back to ODU students in as meaningful a way as Jim Mills did, contact Barbara M. Henley, CFRE at 757/683-6563 or bhenley@odu.edu or Brett A. Smiley, CFRE at 757-683-4735 or bsmiley@odu.edu. They are happy to discuss how your legacy could help bring the unmatched ODU experience to future generations of students.