Wisconsin - Shirley Ann (Clark) Miller, 82, a loving and compassionate soul, passed away on Monday, March 17, 2025 at the University of Washington Medical Center's ICU in Seattle, Washington, due to complications from multiple myeloma blood cancer.

Shirley was born on November 13, 1942, on her grandparent's farm near Monroe, Washington and grew up in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1961, then worked for Bell Telephone Systems where she was selected to staff their pavilion at the World's Fair in 1962. She married Stefan Miller in 1965 and as he began his career with Boeing, she earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a minor in Russian language in 1968 from the University of Washington.

Shirley was a stay-at-home mom while their daughters were very young. When her girls went off to school, she personalized their lunch bags with sweet hand-written messages on the bottom, including a smiley face and a "Love, Mom" sign-off in looping cursive. She earned a Master of Social Work in 1980, and Shirley became a case worker for Vision Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted, part of United Way. People losing their sight benefited from her caring nature as she helped them develop systems to continue living safely in their homes, provided emotional counseling, and led stress management workshops.

Shirley loved horses, and as a teen she volunteered at the pony ride at the Woodland Park Zoo. One time she snuck into the zoo at night with a friend, climbing over the zoo's stone wall to visit the ponies. This sense of adventure carried over to adulthood when she discovered the joy of international travel. She and Stefan visited multiple countries in Europe, as well as Australia/New Zealand, China, Mexico, South Africa and Ukraine.

Shirley and Stefan also enjoyed "roughing it" at Beach Haven Resort on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. Leisurely happy hours with friends, while watching the sun set over the Puget Sound, were an annual tradition for over 50 years.

In retirement, Shirley served on their neighborhood's homeowners association for many years. She helped establish and nurture a local chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philanthropic organization that provides educational opportunities for female students worldwide. And she enjoyed many visits to Wisconsin to see her daughters and granddaughter. After her cancer diagnosis, Shirley's activities slowed down, but she found plenty of little joys along the way, including reading and resting, eating ice cream for dessert, and weekly family video chats with her daughters.

Shirley valued her family, cherishing each opportunity to connect. Spending Christmas eves with the boisterous Clark clan was something she always looked forward to and gave her joy.

Shirley is survived by spouse Stefan Miller; daughter Lara Miller; daughter Nicole Miller and son-in-law Cliff Hammer; granddaughter Adrhia Citlali Franco Miller; and sister Kathy. She was preceded in death by her parents Alvin Clark and Mildred (Schwartz) Clark; and her brothers Jerry and Pete.

A celebration of life will be held later this year.