Karen L. Miller

Karen was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1933 to Alexander and Margaret (MacInnes) Lindberg. She had three brothers and two sisters, Andrew, Alexander, Marilyn, Perry and Susan. Karen met her future husband, Thomas J Miller, a young airman stationed at a nearby base, in 1951. Karen and Tom were married in Enid, Oklahoma on August 1st, 1953. After Tom was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force, they moved to Altadena, California with their infant son, Karl, to plant their roots and raise a family. Karen and Tom raised 3 children, Karl, Barbara, and Kati. During the years in Altadena, Karen dedicated her time to her children’s lives, her church community, and the greater Altadena/Pasadena community. Karen was a Cub Scout Den Mother, a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader, and a PTA member and leader. Among her other volunteer activities, Karen was a founding member of the Project Head Start program in Altadena. She also gave her time and love to the A Better Chance program, both as a supporter and as a host mother to several of the boys in the program. She worked several years as a teaching assistant in an innovative math program at John Muir H.S. in Pasadena, California.

The Miller family were long time members of the Altadena Community Church, UCC. Karen was a dedicated choir member and lay leader at ACC, as well as an active member and volunteer within the wider UCC Southern California Conference. Karen had a passion for camping and traveling, and she and Tom took long summer vacations with their children, camping in their VW Bus all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, visiting as many historical sites as possible. She also enjoyed backpacking with Tom and her children.

With her beautiful voice, Karen was selected to be a member of the Los Angeles based prestigious William Hall Chorale in the soprano section, performing locally, nationally and internationally for many years. In pursuit of her music degree, she attended Pasadena City College, where she became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Finishing her education at California State University, Los Angeles, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She began her teaching career as an elementary school music teacher, as well as teaching kindergarten, and first grade, within the Pasadena School District. She later taught bi-lingual first grade classes. Concurrently, she went on to Co-direct the Pasadena Boys Choir for quite a few years. Among the other choirs and chorales she sang with, she was a long time member of the Camerata Singers in Long Beach, and a member of the Gregorian Schola of Los Angeles Chapel of Charlemagne. She would travel many times with members of her schola to Solesmes, France, to attend summer Gregorian chant classes led by Benedictine monks and attend their services at the Abbaye Saint-Pierre.

In 1987, after 30 years in Altadena, Karen and Tom moved to Seal Beach, California. Karen and Tom became members of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach, UCC, in Long Beach, California. Karen was a soprano in the chancel choir, and also founded and directed the church’s Gregorian chant choir. Karen was an avid volunteer and supporter of the church’s community outreach programs, as well as continuing her greater UCC conference committee work. After their move, Karen continued to teach in Pasadena for several more years before transferring to the closer Garden Grove School District, where she taught first grade until she retired in 2000.

During their years in both Altadena and Seal Beach, Karen and Tom would travel to many countries, including a summer camping in a VW camper bus from Germany to Spain. In later years they took numerous cruises in various parts of the world, which Karen continued to do even after the passing of her beloved husband Tom on April 11, 2004.

After 37 years living in Seal Beach, Karen moved to Austin, Texas in 2023 to be near her daughters Kati and Barbara, her sons-in-law Don and David, their daughters, and their families for her final years.

Karen Miller was a passionate advocate and activist for social justice, including racial equality, economic equity, educational equity women’s rights, reproductive rights, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. She welcomed into her life people of all races, sexual orientation, and cultures, and throughout her life she was a consummate role model for all those who knew and loved her.

Karen was preceded in death by her husband Tom and son Karl. She is lovingly remembered by her two daughters, Kati Strong (Don) and Barbara Nelson (David), her sister Susan Shipman (Lloyd) and brother Perry Lindberg (Jan), as well as nine grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, one great, great grandchild, cousins, nieces and nephews, and other cherished family and friends.

A Memorial Service for Karen will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM, with a reception to follow, at First Congregational Church of Long Beach, 241 Cedar Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802

The service will be streamed live for those who are unable to attend. The service can be viewed via the following link: https://youtube.com/live/W0BJcj7ZKTs?feature=share

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Urban Community Outreach of Long Beach, CA. at their website at https://www.ucodic.org

The family will provide parking vouchers for those who park at the Civic Center Garage at 332 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802