Wendy Miller
On March 22nd, 2015 Wendy got her dream of a kidney transplant. Later that day, she suffered a devastating stroke and passed away on March 26, 2015 surrounded by her family. Wendy was born at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine and grew up in Windham and South Portland. A 1961 graduate of Westbrook High School, she left Maine to earn her B.A. at U.C. Berkeley and lived in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood before returning to Maine. She and her former husband William Miller moved to Greenville in 1969 and then settled in Springvale where she lived until 2002. After living briefly in Manchester, ME, she moved to Portland to be closer to her daughter.
Wendy was a proud and deeply supportive mother to her two children – cheering them on through sports, academics, career pursuits and parenting challenges. She taught her kids about civic responsibility and engagement through her local and international activism and lifelong philanthropy. Wendy was a reference librarian at Portland Public Library for the past 10 years, where she wouldn’t rest until she answered her patrons’ questions. Before that, she was the director of the Bailey Public Library in Winthrop. She began her library career at Goodall Library in Sanford, which inspired her to earn her Masters in Library Science as part of the University of South Carolina’s Maine cohort. She was also a counselor at Family Planning in Sanford, ME and worked for the Social Security Administration in San Francisco. She
was a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, and loved talking sports with her son and son-in-law. She was voracious reader and an avid follower of current events. She was known for her witty and astute commentary on politics. Wendy was also a valued member of the online support community for people living with Polycystic Kidney Disease.
Wendy was an adoring Grammy and Grandma to her four grandchildren – two in Maine and two in California. She leaves behind her son Jesse Miller and daughter-in-law Katya Miller of San Francisco, ME; her daughter Zoe Miller and son-in-law Craig Weaver of Portland, ME; and her sister Jane Gilmartin of Standish, ME. To offer condolences and share memories with the family, please go to www.coastalcremationservices.com.
A memorial service for friends and family will be held on Sunday, April 26th from 1-3:30pm at the Woodford Club, 179 Woodford St, Portland.
Donations in Wendy's memory may be made to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation pkdcure.org
Online condolences may be expressed below.
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