- Date Of Birth: February 6, 1936
- Date Of Death: December 24, 2020
- State: Michigan
Doris Marie Miller passed away at her home on Thursday, December 24, 2020 at the age of 84 years old. She was born in Charlotte, Michigan, daughter of the late James and Elsie Frazier.
Doris moved to Kalamazoo, MI in 1954 to attend Western Michigan University which is also where she met her loving husband Charlie in 1957. After meeting Charlie she began lifelong friendships with several wives of his Delta Upsilon fraternity, they liked to call themselves “The Golden Girls” and they liked to talk, laugh and have fun together any chance that they could, all of those friendships remain just as strong to this day. She graduated from WMU in 1958 and started working for Kalamazoo Public Schools. She married Charlie in July of 1961 and they had 59 wonderful years of marriage together.
She is a retired art administrator from K.P.S. where she taught grades K-8 for many years and later coordinated the K.P.S. art program until retirement. After retiring, Doris took on many hobbies such as painting and drawing, and creating hand-painted aprons, cards and furniture pieces that had been exhibited in South Haven and Kalamazoo stores and at the West Michigan Cancer Center. She has been the recipient of such awards including The Community Medal of Arts, Kalamazoo Public Schools Administrator of the Year, Michigan Art Educator of the Year, Excellence in Teaching Award and W.M.U. 100 Outstanding Art Alumni.
Doris loved inspiring creativity and positivity in others. She encouraged students and friends of all ages to pursue their dreams, visions and imagination. She believed in a style of teaching that created a relationship of trust, and unconditional love in her students; she dedicated her teaching to help children discover their gifts in a climate of safety and affirmation. Doris will be remembered for her loving, kind, caring and funny personality and for her great sense of humor. She was a great conversationalist, always outgoing and interested in meeting people and learning about them. Even after her diagnosis and battle with cancer, Doris was able to find peace through her faith and with the love and support of her family and dear friendships.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents and brother, James Frazier. She is survived by: her beloved husband, Charles Miller; children, Gregory C. Miller and his wife Amanda, and Christine Miller and significant other Chanlatte Zimmermann; sisters, Elsie Bennett and Mary Jane (Tom) Evans.
