Carol Deer Miller

Carol Deer Miller peacefully returned to her heavenly home on July 7, 2023, surrounded by family, after a sudden illness. She was age 87. Carol lived a full and rich life filled with adventure, loyal friendships and limitless love for her family. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend, she was charming, fun, gregarious and lit up a room, and made everyone around her know they were special and loved.

Carol was born on June 1, 1936, to George and Tossye Deer in Osceola, Arkansas, a family of ardent educators. The Deer family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Carol grew up loving jazz, gumbo, raw oysters, camelias, and the LSU tigers. She attended the LSU Laboratory School for her early education, and attended college at LSU, where she was a member of Phi Mu and was awarded her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Education, following in the legacy of her father who was a distinguished member of the faculty of the LSU School of Education for over 25 years. Carol would continue to be integrally involved in both LSU and Phi Mu for the rest of her life.

After graduation from college, Carol worked as a cherished elementary school teacher, and married the love of her life, a dashing young engineer with Exxon named Roland Miller. Roland and Carol would be married for 60 years and have a rich and full life together filled with family, friendship and wonderful experiences that they would share with their two children, Susan and Steve, and their grandchildren.

Roland’s job with Exxon brought the young family to Houston, and Carol quickly assimilated into Houston, living in Bunker Hill Village, and becoming very involved in Tallowood Baptist Church, the Junior League of Houston, Bunker Hill Elementary School, and the Houston chapters of LSU and Phi Mu, making many wonderful friends. The young family was sad to leave Houston but excited to go to the big apple, when Roland’s job with Exxon resulted in a transfer to New York City (the place where Roland and Carol spent their fabulous honeymoon), and the family enjoyed many wonderful years living in Darien, Connecticut, where they took full advantage of going to Broadway plays, taking long drives in the fall through the Connecticut countryside to pick apples and pumpkins, having cookouts on the local beaches, and boating and fishing on the Long Island Sound. Roland’s job with Exxon also brought the couple to Florham Park, New Jersey, where they lived in Chatham and developed a penchant for New Jersey diners, great Italian food, and fun trips to New York on the Path Train. Roland’s job with Exxon ultimately took the family back to Houston, where he and Carol would retire and have the pleasure of living nearby their children and grandchildren.

The couple purchased a lake house at April Sound on Lake Conroe and a mountain house in Estes Park, Colorado, where they enjoyed many fun gatherings with family and friends. The couple also took advantage of the opportunity to travel the world, with some of their favorite trips being those where they generously took along their entire extended family, including ski trips, cruises, and exotic Caribbean vacations.

Carol made any holiday sparkle. She was an amazing cook and hostess, with beautiful and creative taste in decorating. Every Christmas holiday dinner would always start with a dinner gift that she would pick out for each guest, and she would spend all year trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for each family member. She also loved inviting friends to join in her family celebrations. It is a little-known fact that the best casserole in the world is Carol Miller’s King Ranch Casserole.

Roland and Carol greatly loved their church, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where Carol loved volunteering in the kitchen. She also loved being a long-time member of PEO, a women’s philanthropic organization celebrating the advancement of women, and loved each of her wonderful sisters in PEO, Chapter DU.

Carol loved and supported and believed in her children and grandchildren and encouraged them to have fulfilling careers and loving and tightknit families. She is survived by her husband, Roland; her daughter, Susan Schwager (Charles); her son, Steve (Donna); and her grandchildren, Sam and Haley Schwager and Erin and Molly Miller; all who will love her forever and continue to be inspired daily by the legacy of love that she imparted to them.

Friends and family will gather for a celebration of Carol’s life on Friday, August 11 at 10:00 a.m. at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, in Houston, where the Rev. Katie Montgomery Mears of St. Luke’s Methodist Church is to officiate. Immediately following, all are cordially invited to greet the family and share remembrances of Carol during a reception. Gifts in Carol’s honor may be made to PEO International at www.peointernational.org (Giving Opportunities) referencing Chapter DU/TX.