Willie Mae Milazzo

AUBURN – Willie Mae (Tanner) Milazzo was born Oct. 21, 1930, in Cullman, Ala., to Charles and Sara Tanner. Willie Mae was the baby of 14 children. She survived all her siblings and passed away in Auburn on March 4, 2025 at 94 years of age.

Willie Mae’s family moved to Lakeland, Fla. when she was in her teens. While working in a donut shop there, she met the man who was to become her husband and the love of her life, John Milazzo. John had served as a medic during World War 2. After the war, he attended Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Willie Mae married John on March 30, 1948.

Following John’s graduation from Florida Southern College, Willie Mae and John moved to Bologna, Italy, for John to attend The University of Bologna Medical School. Once John became a medical doctor, they moved to Peaks Island where Willie Mae effortlessly stepped into the role of wife to the sole doctor on the island. From there they moved to Auburn, where John established his medical office in the family home. Willie Mae managed the practice until John’s death in 1986. She often joked, “What do you want from cheap help,” whenever John teased her about the office’s daily challenges.

Together, Willie Mae and John raised three children in a lively and bustling home, filled with laughter and the constant presence of neighborhood children. Willie Mae embraced the joyful chaos of family life while balancing her practice management role with caring for those around her.

Willie Mae was also very active in community life. She was understandably proud that, together with Lucille Giasson, her nurse friend, she assisted in the growth of Androscoggin Health Care, now known as Andwell Health Partners, and help create it’s Meals on Wheels program. Willie Mae’s community spirit and compassion reached long and deep throughout her life.

From the late 1980s until about four years ago, Willie Mae cooked Sunday dinner, almost every Sunday, for her extended family consisting of her children, grandchildren and anyone invited along for a meal and love. Cooking was not her only talent. She was an artist, landscaping beautiful flower gardens, quilting, painting and knitting gifts for family and extended family, donating scarves and hats wherever there was a need.

She was a force of nature throughout her life and seamlessly adapted to all the momentous twists and turns in her life. She embraced every challenge with fierce determination and conquered them all until the end. Her boundless energy, warmth and dedication touched many lives, both within her family and throughout the community. May her memory bring comfort and inspiration to all who knew her.

She was predeceased by her husband, John; and daughter, Gloria Caouette. She sadly leaves behind her son, John and his wife Suzanne, her daughter Debra and her husband Rick Shannon; and her much loved grandsons, Christopher Caouette, Patrick Milazzo- Shannon and wife Kayla and Shawn Milazzo-Shannon and partner Kristene Aubin. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and cousins that she dearly loved and stayed in touch with throughout her life.

The family wants to thank the medical and support staffs of Andwell Hospice for the unwavering caring, respect and affection they gave our Mother and Grandmother.

There will be a private viewing for family. Arrangements by The Fortin & Pinette Group 217 Turner St. in Auburn, 783-8545. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at http://www.thefortingroupauburn.com.

In lieu of flowers,

the family requests donations be made to:

Andwell Health Partners at andwell.org/giving/donate