Kathleen Kerin Miller (nee Pastore), beloved wife and mother, inspirational friend, and versatile creative force, passed away at age 73 on August 31, 2021, following a three-month battle with cancer. 

Kate, as she preferred to be called, was known for her fierce intelligence, puckish spirit, irreverent sense of humor, and remarkable generosity. She was a productive artist skilled in drawing, stenciling, printmaking, watercolors, beading, knitting, and more. She was also an accomplished poet and writer, featured in literary magazines including Cricket. 

In 2007, her book, “Poems in Black and White,” was published by Boyds Mills Press. The book took more than two years to painstakingly write and illustrate via the monoprint technique. It was critically well-received and is now a treasured and lasting testament to her creative talent.

Never content to simply pursue her own creative projects, Kate was deeply invested in nurturing those around her. She was a high school theology teacher in Washington, D.C., a literacy tutor in Silver Spring, MD, a children’s librarian in Geneva, IL, and a regular volunteer at food pantries in Saratoga Springs, NY. 

All of this, of course, was not nearly as impressive as the reasons she will be remembered by family and friends. Kate was funny, kind, and generous. She had a knack for seeing your soft spot and scaffolding it with warm words of encouragement. She was not afraid to poke you in the ribs a bit if the moment called for it. Her genuine humility coexisted with a competitive streak that, when paired with her exceptional vocabulary, made every game of Scrabble and Boggle a hilarious challenge.

She had the most capable hands you may have ever seen. She applied her considerable artistic talents to hand-drawn and painted cards for her family and friends. She crafted jewelry from metal, glass, and plastic. She knit socks, hats, and stuffed animals. She expertly painted entire rooms without a single stray brush mark. (Her nose was no slouch either. Over the years, Kate’s almost supernatural ability to sniff out mold and rot behind drywall and masonry saved numerous walls and foundations.)

She was a whirling dervish in the kitchen, whipping up delicious, wholesome meals with relative ease, not afraid to let you know when they did not pass whatever high bar she had set for herself even as you licked your plate clean.

As a teenager, she found inspiration in theology, the civil rights movement, and Vatican II. She never lost her early-1960s brand of idealism, nor her belief in the fundamental goodness of humankind. Throughout her life, she was unafraid to speak loudly about social justice, environmentalism, and equal rights for all. 

She found immense joy and artistic inspiration in nature, and had a keen eye for the fine details of flora and fauna. She filled countless sketchbook pages with beautifully intricate drawings of rabbit ears, goose feathers, and racoon feet. She could take as much delight from the hummingbirds that hovered outside her bedroom window as an epic view of the canyonlands.

Most importantly, she was an inspiration to her best friend and husband, Hubert (Hub) John Miller, whom she met at a theology lecture at the University of Notre Dame. When he arrived for their first date and made the mistake of calling her “Kathy,” she jabbed him lightly in the stomach and said, “You can call me Kate.” And so began an extraordinary 50+ year partnership between two like-minded people, peerless in their ability to bring out the best in each other. 

Kate was an extraordinary and loving mother to her two sons, Thomas and John, providing them with unfailing encouragement and gentle guidance throughout their lives. As a mother-in-law, she was a dream, embracing Tom’s wife Becca and John’s wife Deanna as close friends and confidantes. 

As a grandmother to Tom’s sons, Benjamin and Luke, and John’s sons, William and Leo, she was endlessly imaginative and enthusiastic. She was always ready to get down on the floor and play a board game, devise props for an impromptu grocery store game, or hand-craft delightful Harry Potter-themed gifts. 

A devoted sister, Kate and her four siblings (Ralph, John, Mary Ann, and Jim) filled the room with laughter whenever they gathered. She was a special source of comfort to them in difficult times, especially when caring for her late brothers Ralph and Jim during their terminal illnesses. Kate was just as proud to be a member of Hub’s own large family, which included Hub’s parents, his ten siblings, their spouses, and over one hundred of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her ability to recall all those names was a testament to both her huge heart and impressive memory.

In addition to her family, she leaves behind an army of other people whose lives she touched— cherished childhood friends, nieces, nephews, cousins, coworkers, and neighbors. Even relative strangers could be moved by her wisdom and kindness. Her legacy of creativity, love, and friendship will remain a guiding light for us all, for the rest of our lives