Virginia Maurine Miller

Virginia Maurine Boyd was born in Bryan, Texas, on January 26, 1928, to Veronika “Vinie” Simek and John William Boyd. Virginia grew up in Caldwell, Texas. She was raised by her single mother alongside her older siblings John and Elizabeth. Virginia was a high achiever in school, and enjoyed playing the clarinet in the marching band and having a leading role in her senior class play. She graduated from Caldwell High School in 1945.

It wasn’t long before Virginia met Harold Loyd Miller of College Station, while visiting her aunt’s family, whose property adjoined the Millers. Harold had recently returned home from serving in World War II. Virginia and Harold fell in love and married on July 14, 1946, in Caldwell, but made their home across the lake from his parents in a new red brick house that he built himself for their new family.

Their first child, Kaye, was born in 1952. They moved to Houston around 1956 and joined Spring Branch Presbyterian Church in 1958, where they were active from then on. Their second daughter, Laurie, came along in 1966. Virginia served as an Elder, spent countless hours working in the church kitchen and on the Fellowship committee, and was a faithful alto in the Chancel Choir all the years she was able to sing.

Virginia loved Scouting, and both girls were blessed with having Virginia as their Girl Scout troop leader throughout their scouting journeys. Virginia and Kaye’s troop flew to Mexico City in 1969 to visit Our Cabaña, the Girl Scout Center located there. Virginia always enjoyed sharing in her grandchildren’s scouting experiences, too.

After mostly staying at home to raise both girls, in 1979 Virginia embarked on a career in Spring Branch ISD that would last 21 years. To Laurie’s frequent dismay, Virginia’s job as an attendance officer was on the same campus where Laurie attended high school at Spring Branch Senior High. No skipping school for Laurie!

In later life, Virginia and Harold got to travel a bit, with visits to see Laurie and husband Gary when they lived in New York, to see Kaye and husband Tom in Georgia and Florida, and a 50th anniversary trip to Copper Canyon, Mexico. Virginia and Harold celebrated 71 happy anniversaries and had many other joys along the way. Her greatest joys were her grandchildren Ethan and Emily, who she was so very proud of.

She saw countless plays, musicals, concerts, and sporting events, and enjoyed every single one of them. Virginia lived long enough to meet her granddaughter Emily’s husband, Adam, and attend her wedding shower.

Virginia loved the outdoors. Her greatest passions were her yard and garden, camping, and birding. Over the years, the family took many wonderful trips to explore the parks of the western United States. Her favorite places to visit were the mountains. The minute she arrived, the car windows were rolled down to experience the cool air and evergreen tree smells. Virginia and her friend Audrey took many crazy road trips searching for that elusive bird species, and sometimes getting lost along the way. Grammy was always saving wildlife to share with Ethan and Emily, and on any given visit, both kids were guaranteed to meet a new creature, either living or dead.

In the last years of their lives, Virginia and Harold were wonderfully cared for by many caregivers in their home. The one constant throughout was Liza Nueva, who joined our family in 2010, and has faithfully and lovingly taken the best care of both Virginia and Harold. Our family has thrived because of her dedication to all of us and we can’t thank her enough.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Loyd Miller, her sister Elizabeth and brother-in-law Dub Fowler, and her brother John Boyd. She is survived by her daughter Kaye and son-in-law Tom Fearneyhough, her daughter Laurie and son-in-law Gary Mitchell, and grandchildren Ethan Mitchell and Emily and her husband Adam Turner.

Visitation with the family was held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2024 at Waltrip Funeral Directors, 1415 Campbell Road in Houston, Texas. Graveside services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 4, at College Station City Cemetery, 2530 Texas Ave S, in College Station, Texas. A memorial service followed at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, 1215 Campbell Rd, Houston, Texas 77055. Services will be available via live stream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED7Bo-9jWVI and at Spring Branch Presbyterian Church Facebook channel.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Spring Branch Presbyterian Church in memory of Virginia.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.waltripfuneraldirectors.com for the Miller family.