Susan Miller

Susan Krahn Miller, 9/23/1926-6/12/13 Susan Krahn Miller of Tucson, Arizona, died on June 12, 2013 of a heart attack, surrounded by family. She rallied to the end. She had recently moved to Tucson from Phoenix, Arizona, and was looking forward to spending more time with her daughter Lois and family. Susan was born in Grigorievka, Ukraine, on September 23, 1926. Her family emigrated to Canada when she was two years old. She grew up in Manitoba, where her father, Peter Krahn, taught school in a one-room schoolhouse. She followed in his lead, taking over for him when he got ill, and also teaching in various other places in Canada. She received her MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the 1960’s, and went on to teach German and English literature and language at Bluffton College in Ohio, in Turkey, and at the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. She also taught ESL for many years at the Dhahran Academy in Saudi Arabia. She spent her life traveling the world with her family. In 1959 she married James Virgil Miller; shortly thereafter they moved to Ankara, Turkey, where their first two daughters, Marjorie and Elaine, were born. Their third daughter, Lois, was born in Ann Arbor when they returned to the US for a period of time to attend graduate school. After many years of teaching abroad, they returned to the US in 1987 and lived in Sarasota, Florida before moving to Phoenix. After Virgil passed away in 2011, Susan stayed on at Glencroft for two years before deciding to move to Tucson to be closer to family. Susan will be fondly remembered for her keen intellect, her positive attitude, and her adventurous spirit. She remained in touch with friends across the world, who remember her for her ability to bring others together. She led an active lifestyle until the end, hiking, reading, swimming, and taking part in community activities. She loved life and was always ready and eager to learn new things. Her sudden passing was a shock to all of her family and friends, but we can take comfort in knowing that she had such good quality of life until the end. She will be lovingly remembered by everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. Susan is survived by her three daughters, Marjorie McKenna, Elaine Miller, and Lois Miller, and their spouses. She was a wonderful and devoted grandmother to her five grandchildren, Bianca, Isabella, Sofi, Jeremy, and Leyla. She will be greatly missed by all.