Phyllis Thorpe Miller

Phyllis Thorpe Miller, 86, died Saturday, May 4, at Hospice Home Care in Little Rock. She was born November 11, 1926 in Canton, Ohio, the daughter of Phyllis and James Battle Thorpe. The family moved to Pelham Manor, New York, where she spent her childhood. Before college, she attended St. Mary's School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated cum laude from Sweet Briar College. She married John E. Miller, Jr. on April 30, 1949 and the couple lived in El Dorado, Arkansas, before moving to Little Rock. She was a member of the Junior League of Little Rock and First United Methodist Church, where she was an active volunteer, and later worked as a proof-reader for the Arkansas House of Representatives. Kind, wise, loving and generous in so many ways, she loved her walks, gardening, needlepoint, calligraphy, her friends and family, and the many pets she rescued through the years. Preceded in death by her husband, she is survived by her three children, John E. Miller III and wife Gaea of Little Rock, Janet Ludwig and husband Don of Denver, Colorado, and Robin Foster and husband Jerry of Houston, Texas, five grandchildren, John E. Miller IV, Robin Miller, Emma, Ben and Zack Foster, two sisters, Janet Thorpe and Bettie Feather, both of Framingham, Massachusetts, four nieces and a nephew. After graveside services at Roselawn Memorial Park, the family will receive and welcome friends at her home from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Pulaski County and to First United Methodist Church. Cremation arrangements will be handled by Ruebel Funeral Home. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.