It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Millika DePonte. She was born on September 24, 1937 in Slovenia. When the Nazis invaded Slovenia in WWII they executed her father who was an officer in the Slovenian military, and took her and her young mother to Austria as slave laborers for the Nazi officers. Later, when she was 18 years old, she left Europe on her own to come to the US as a legal immigrant, paying her own way on a ship working in the pursers‘s office. She went to Houston Texas to live with her parents. Texas is where she met and married the love of her life, Francis “Dew” DePonte, who at the time was a captain and pilot in the US Air Force. They were transferred to California where he was stationed and had their first child, Lenay. Soon after, they were transferred to Aviano Air Force Base in Italy, where their second child, Brent was born and where Captain “Dew” DePonte was in charge of the interceptor squadrons. Some of Millika's favorite memories were as a military wife. Millika loved going to the officers club events, bingo nights, and dances where she was known to light up the floor! After Dew retired from the Air Force, the family moved to Texas, where they started a commuter airline business helping transport military personnel and civilians around the southern states. Later they moved to West Texas, where her husband flew for different companies. Their final move was to Albuquerque in 1980 where Dew flew for the Arapahoe Drilling Company. She and Dew were married for 24 years but it tragically ended when Dew died in an airplane accident in 1981. Millika was left to raise her two kids alone. She was a strong and independent woman and she instilled those virtues and qualities in her kids. Millika passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 16, 2026 at the age of 88. She was a beloved mom, Nona and friend. Surviving are her daughter, Lenay DePonte; son Brent DePonte (Eileen DePonte); grandsons Brent and Bryan DePonte; and boyfriend Suyuh Candelario. Millika was such a joy to be around. She could light up any room she entered, filling it with laughter and brightening anybody’s day. She will be heavily missed and remembered by her big heart, amazing cooking, her love for dancing and her love for her children, grandchildren, and her many furry friends. In lieu of flowers, please donate a gift to your favorite animal cause.