Gene Elaine Miller

Gene Elaine Miller, 73, of Fort Wayne, IN passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, just a week shy of her 40th wedding anniversary with her husband Joe. Genie, the seventh of nine children, was born on October 25, 1949, to the late Thomas A. and Grace L. (Davis) Gouty. Gene graduated from Elmhurst High School in 1968 and started a family in her hometown of Fort Wayne with her first husband, until the Blizzard of 1978 soured her to winter weather. She then re-located with her three small children, to the drier climate of Phoenix, Arizona.

While in Phoenix, Genie met Joseph Miller, while they were both driving armored cars for the same company. Joe and Genie spent many years in Phoenix, exploring the desert. In 1999 they moved to Illinois, and in 2015 settled back in Fort Wayne. Gene loved cats, and rescued many that had been abandoned; she leaves behind her beloved kitties to take care of Joe. They will miss her lap for naptime.

Genie was an avid sewist and crafter, even teaching herself to crochet. She and Joe both had a love for quilting. She was delighted when she was able to join the Fort Wayne Farmers Market to share her pet tents, tote bags, coin purses and other items she’d made. Genie had the rare gift of starting a conversation cold with complete strangers and making them feel like old friends within seconds, and on any topic.

Gene is survived by her husband of 40 years, Joe, her three children, Thomas F. and James R. Moran, and Barbara Jo (Moran) Adkins; as well as seven of her siblings: Susan L. Hayes, Mary E. Snoke, Helen A. Hutchinson, Phyllis D. Zemnick, Thomas R. Gouty, Gloria L. Gouty, and John Mark Gouty. She was preceded in death by her brother, James P. Gouty. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mccombandsons.com for the Miller, Moran and Gouty families.