Alice du Pont

     Alice du Pont was born on 13 December 1912 at Wilmington, De.. As of 29 November 1935,her married name was Mills. She married James Paul Mills on 29 November 1935 at Cathedral Church of St. John, Wilmington, De.. Alice du Pont died on 13 March 2002 at Va. at age 89; ALICE duPONT MILLS, of Middleburg, VA and Hobe Sound, FL died March 13, 2002 at the age of 89 after a brief illness.

Born in Wilmington, DE on December 13, 1912, Mrs. Mills was the daughter of the late A. Felix duPont and Mary Chichester duPont. After graduating from Oldfields, Mrs. Mills pursued a wide variety of interests. An advanced instrument-rated aircraft pilot, she flew an open-cockpit plane up the Amazon River in 1932 along with her late brother, Richard C. duPont. During World War II, she served as a flight instructor for military pilots in Long Island, NY and upon the war's conclusion, piloted one of the pioneer single-engine airplane flights between New York and Buenos Aires with her husband, the late James Paul Mills, whom she married in 1935.

Upon moving to Middleburg, VA in 1949, Mrs. Mills continued her involvement in philanthropic activities, environmental affairs and Thoroughbred horse racing. She pioneered numerous family planning programs in the course of her work for Planned Parenthood in Northern Virginia, and served as a member of Planned Parenthood's national board of directors, as well as local chairperson for its Mineola, NY chapter. Mrs. Mills was an active proponent of conservation efforts in Virginia, and in serving as founding member of the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Bull Run Conservancy, and later as Trustee of Virginia Outdoors Foundation, championed the preservation of scenic open spaces through conservation easement programs. As past chairperson and trustee of the Chichester duPont Foundation, Mrs. Mills promoted the efforts of numerous not-for-profit organizations throughout the nation.

Her life long passion of Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding was evidenced by numerous stakes-winners campaigned through her Hickory Tree Farm near Middleburg, including Believe It, Devils' Bag, Gone West, Gorytus, Glad Rags II, and Hagley, Mrs. Mills was a member of Virginia Thoroughbred Association, and served as Trustee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Her philanthropic efforts on behalf of Thoroughbred racing and breeding included service as a founding member of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, as Advisory Trustee to the National Museum of Racing, and as past Director of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. Mrs. Mills was honored as 1991's Outstanding Owner/Breeder by the Virginia Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and received the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders Association Ladies' Sportmanship Award in 1970.

Mrs. Mills was predeceased by her husband, James Paul Mills, Sr. in 1987. She is survived by her daughters, Mimi (Mrs. J. William) Abel Smith of Middleburg, VA, and Phyllis (Mrs. James B.) Wyeth of Chadds Ford, PA; her son, James P. Mills, Jr. of Middleburg and her grandchildren, Richard P. Mills of New York and Sophie E. Mills of Rehobeth Beach, DE.

A Memorial Service will be held 4 p.m. Saturday, March 23, 2002 at the Grace Episcopal Church, the Plains, Virginia.

This ad appeared in The Washington Post from 3/16/2002 - 3/23/2002. Washington Post Online, retrieved 3/18/2002.¹