Mildred Croom (1923-2025)

Mildred Croom, 101, of Savannah, GA died peacefully in the company of her family on July 25th, 2025. Throughout Millie’s long life she maintained a positive outlook, a bright smile and her Brooklyn attitude!

Millie was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 27th, 1923. She was the first born child of Helen and William Grundmann. She spent most of her childhood in the small town of Spring Valley, New York. She graduated from Spring Valley High School where she was an accomplished violinist and member of the National Honor Society.

At the beginning of World War II, she contributed to the war effort by working for the U.S. Army at Camp Shanks in Orangeberg, New York checking identification and immunization records of new soldiers. It was there that she met her first husband, Donald Thigpen. They married and had three children: Donald Jr., Georgia and Kirk. In 1956, the family moved to Donald’s hometown of Savannah, GA.

Millie had an impressive career with the YMCA in Savannah. She started out as the secretary to the Director of the YMCA in the 1960’s when it was located in the historic district. Due to her experience and tenacious nature she was offered the opportunity to train to become the first woman in the history of the YMCA in Georgia to become a Senior Director at the Habersham YMCA. She was a fencing instructor and was active in the establishment of the Islands YMCA.

During this time, she and Donald divorced. Later, at a business management meeting, which she organized for local business men, she met the love of her life, her second husband William Croom. She moved to Atlanta with Bill to support his career at AT&T. She was the stepmother to Bill’s children: Pam, Billie, Jenny and David. In Atlanta, she worked for the Jewish Community Center. She remembered fondly her time as a program director for many summers at Camp Barney Medintz in Cleveland, GA.

In retirement, Bill and Millie traveled extensively overseas and throughout the United States and Canada in an RV visiting National Parks and enjoying seeing the country. She and Bill had lived at Summer Breeze, an assisted living community on Wilmington Island, for decades. With family close by on Wilmington Island, she enjoyed spending time with her daughter Georgia, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was loved by many of her neighbors and the Wilmington Island Presbyterian Church community where she attended church.

She was preceded in death by her first husband Donald, her second husband Bill, her son Donald Thigpen Jr., her son-in-law Richard (Georgia) Edwards, stepdaughter Jenny Croom and her stepson David Croom. She is survived by her daughter Georgia Edwards, son Kirk (Martha) Thigpen, stepdaughter Pam (Bud) Traynor and stepdaughter Billie (Gregg) Keller, loving grandchildren and great grandchildren and many relatives and friends made over 101 years.

A visitation will be from 5:00p.m. until 7:00p.m. Thursday, July 31st. at Fox & Weeks Islands Chapel. A gravesside service will be held at 10:00a.m. Friday, Ausgust 1st. at Hillcrest Abbey East Memorial Park.