Patricia Anne Miller

April 22, 1933 to January 9, 2025

Patricia Anne (Morton) Miller, 91, a woman known for her quiet courage, kindness and determination as well as a long career as a school speech pathologist, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2025, in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), California.

Pat was born to Alan and Doris Morton on April 22, 1933, in her grandparents’ house in Irlams o’ th’ Height, near Salford, England. She grew up with her parents, younger brother Derek and her beloved companion, Peter the Springer Spaniel, behind her parents’ Sweets and Tobacco shop.

During World War II, Pat was evacuated from home as the Manchester/Salford Blitz began in 1940. She spent a year on a farm in Kendal in England’s Lake District. When she returned to her family in Salford, she attended the Pendleton School for Girls, graduating in 1951 with A levels in English and Geography.

She then headed to the speech therapy training school of London’s West End Hospital for Diseases of the Nervous System (now the College of Speech Sciences). She completed her degree in Speech Therapy in 1954 and returned to Lancashire to begin her career.

Pat married Alan Leslie Miller on March 9, 1957, at St. James Hope Church, Salford—and that very same day emigrated to Montreal, Canada. After settling in Canada, Pat accepted a position at the Montreal Protestant School Board.

Pat took a 10-year work hiatus to raise her children Peter (1958), Ian (1961) and Lynne (1963). During that time the family moved from Montreal to Saint John, New Brunswick, and then back to Montreal. She volunteered as a den mother for her sons’ Boy Scout troop and as a Sunday school teacher at Church of the Resurrection Valois, then returned to work as a speech therapist in 1969.

The family moved two more times: After more than 12 years in Canada, they relocated first to Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1970 (where they weathered Hurricane Celia in July 1970) and then finally to Los Angeles in 1971. Pat’s mother, Doris, joined them in 1990.

In California, Pat soon began work in an aphasia/severe language disorders classroom in the Los Angeles Unified School District, working as an instructional aide because California school districts did not recognize her British professional credentials. Determined to reestablish herself as a practicing speech pathologist, she returned to night school in 1975 at LA Community College. She subsequently received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge, in 1981, and her master’s degree the following year—all while working, raising three children and managing her home. She then

began a 16-year career with the Pasadena Unified School District, working as a speech pathologist helping children with speech and language challenges, stutters, developmental disabilities and autism.

Pat had a passion for reading, music, singing and the theater—especially the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, which she enjoyed with her collegiate and lifelong friends Betty and Diana. In California, Pat sang in the choir at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. She also socialized with a group of fellow British ex-pats. And throughout her life, she treasured animals, especially her cats and dogs.

After retiring in 1998, Pat pursued her love of geography with trips across four continents: Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe, as well as travel throughout the U.S.—including Alaska and National Parks with the Eagle Vista Seniors Club. She participated in activities run by the Glassell Park Seniors, the Pasadena Senior Center, and the Eagle Vista Seniors Club, for which she served as president for four years. She adored and spent time with her three grandchildren in Scottsdale, Arizona, suburban Chicago, Illinois, and Geldrop, the Netherlands.

A two-time cancer survivor herself, Pat is survived by Alan, her husband of 67 years; her children Peter, Ian (Ellen), and Lynne (John); her grandchildren Christopher, Lauren and Nina; and her cousin Beryl. She was preceded in death by her brother, Derek Morton.

A gathering of friends and family to celebrate her life took place on January 17 at Ridgeview Home Care Center in Los Angeles. Her ashes will be scattered in three places special to her in the United Kingdom: Patricroft Cemetery in Salford, the Painswick Beacon and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Kinnerley.

The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the Millers’ personal caregiver, Marvelle

and also, to the compassionate care givers at Ridgeview Home Care Center. Their unwavering dedication and kindness provided comfort and dignity throughout Pat’s stay.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cheetah Conservation Fund https://cheetah.org/donate/.