Remembering Judith Miller

Judith Miller, 78, of Bluemont, Virginia, passed away on August 15, 2022, in the company of loved ones.

Born September 13, 1943, in Alexandria, Virginia, she was the fifth of seven children of the late Frank T. and the late Helen Grabski Slivinski. Judith was also preceded in death by her son Zachary Miller (Rachel); brothers Frank Jr. and Stanley Slivinski; sisters Mary McLaren (Bill), Joan Monastero (Frank), and Susan Slivinski.

Left to cherish her memory are her loving husband of 56 years, Dennis P. Miller; brother James Slivinski and wife Ann; daughter-in-love Rachel, and brother-in-law Frank Monastero, and many other in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and grands, with whom she leaves many sweet, wonderful memories. When Judith and her siblings were together, it was always a party, and you could be sure if all four sisters were involved, they were planning something fun! 

Judith attended school and grew up in Alexandria. She enjoyed working throughout her life, connecting with people and making friends everywhere she went. Her career was diverse and one of service to her government and her community. She worked in multiple government agencies, including the IRS, the U.S. Army Armor Branch, and the U.S. Marshal Service; she also worked at Wolf Trap Farm Park, Church of the Brethren, and later as docent at Morven Park and Oatlands Plantation. In addition to guiding tours, she created amazing arrangements for Morven Park and Oatlands, particularly for the holiday season.

Judith was a wonderful homemaker and loved to hold parties at the family’s beautiful home in Great Falls and then their lovely house in Bluemont, which she affectionately dubbed the Grey Lady. Her hospitality was well-known to friends and neighbors who attended Halloween costume parties, Polish Day parties, and on any other occasion she thought merited a gathering. She took great pride in giving people a wonderful experience. But Judith’s favorite gatherings were always the huge, annual Christmas Eve celebrations that brought together her large extended family each year. These events were truly a treasure for the entire family.  

Judith was always a great pen pal, writing letters and keeping in touch with family and friends as close as Pittsburgh and as far away as Poland. She loved to dance, travel, cook, and learn new skills. She was also an avid reader, a hobby she especially loved sharing with her son. They enjoyed a deep love of poetry and treasured reading together, such as the Tolkien series and Watership Down in particular. She became one of the 100,000 Amazon book reviewers, eventually achieving status in the top 100 and knocking out a book a week to write about it. She also collected quite the library, and, once she adopted a book, hated to part with it, resulting in her husband’s ongoing struggle to build more bookshelves to keep up with them all. And that’s only her books; other collections included her blue and white china, the bells, Raggedy Ann dolls, and her huge bear collection, that she especially loved to bring out at Christmas time. 

On her travels and pretty much everywhere she went, Judith loved to engage people and strike up a conversation. Like her mother, she always loved babies and getting them to smile. In fact, at one time or another, she babysat every one of her nieces and nephews. She taught herself how to play the piano and to sew and quilt, making gifts for many of her friends and family members. For many years, she was a member of the Waterford Quilters and helped to organize their presence at the popular Bluemont Fair. After dementia set in, she recruited Dennis’s help to finish her very last quilt, an endeavor they enjoyed figuring out together, as they did so many things. They had a beautiful love affair; their relationship reflected mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s unique interests and personalities. 

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville (37730 St. Francis Court). For those who cannot attend, the Mass will be available via live streaming at this link: https://saintfrancisparish.org/livestreammass/

A graveside burial will follow at the cemetery of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg, VA, (101 Oakcrest Manor Dr. NE,). Arrangements by Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville, VA.