MILLS Daphene Mary Mills, of Rockland, died Dec. 12, 2006, surrounded by her loving family. Born Jan. 12, 1920, to Edward McLaughlin and Hilda Bryant, in Etna, N.C., Daphene grew up and lived most of her life in the South End of Boston and Rockland. She also resided in West Palm Beach, Fla., before spending the last seven years in Rockland, living with her caring and loving daughter, Rebecca, and son-in-law, John. She graduated from Cathedral High School in Boston. Daphene married the love of her life, Thomas F. Mills Sr., in 1947, a marriage that spanned 58 years and blessed them with eight children. She was a true believer in her faith and was an active member in the Holy Family Mother's Club. She was an avid sports fan, dedicated to her children's sporting events, the Red Sox, Patriots and Boston College. Believing in the luck of the Irish, Daphene enjoyed playing her nightly numbers and trips to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. There is nothing Daphene enjoyed more than a good meal and a cherry dipped in a Manhattan. The matriarch of the Mills family, Daphene was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who cherished the love and embrace of her family, making each and every one of us feel special in many loving ways. Surviving are her son, Thomas F. Mills Jr. and wife, Lynn, of Rockland; daughter, Rebecca Melvin and husband, John, of Rockland; son, Edward Mills and wife, Cindy, of Hopkinton; daughter, Daphene Staunton and husband, Richard, of Dedham; son, Michael Mills and wife, Sheila, of Plymouth; son, Francis Mills and wife, Connie, of Byfield; daughter, Hilda Osmanski and husband, Thomas, of Winston-Salem, N.C.; son, Lt. Colonel Tim Mills and wife, Denise, of Mansfield; 31 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. In the remaining years of her life, Avery and Benny brought much happiness and joy to their great-grandmother. Funeral Mass Friday at 9 a.m. in Holy Family Church, 403 Union St., Rockland. Interment in Holy Family Cemetery in Rockland. Visiting hours on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in the Sullivan Funeral Home, 45 East Water St., Rockland. Memorial contributions may be made to the Life Teen Program at Holy Family Church. For a complete obituary, online guest book and directions, visit www.sullivanfuneralhome.com. Sullivan Funeral Homes, 781-878-0920.