Obituary of Patricia B. Miller

Patricia Brock Miller, 91, died in Mt. Angel on March 16, 2020. Throughout her life she was known as ‘Pat’, ‘Patti’ and ‘Grandma’. Born in Lebanon, Oregon in 1928, Pat was the first child of Harland and Olive (White) Brock. In 1933, before the birth of her brother, the family moved to a home on Oxford Street in south Salem. Pat was a 1946 graduate of St. Helen’s Hall in Portland. Following her freshman year at the Univ. of San Francisco, she moved south and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from USC. In 1952 she married Ernest H. Miller and they raised two boys, Brock and Kent, in the Candelaria neighborhood of south Salem. In 1991 Patti converted to Catholicism and following Ernie’s death in ’92, she moved to Mt. Angel. For almost two decades she welcomed family, friends, monks and seminarians into her home on the corner of College and Birch streets. Patti worked in the Abbey’s library for many years, helping seminarians find and check-out books. In 1991 she became an Oblate of Mount Angel Abbey. Patti enjoyed traveling until her early 80’s and especially loved exploring Italy and Austria. In 1998 she took her grandson to Italy and Switzerland on a tour sponsored by the Abbey. Patti lived at the Mt. Angel Towers for 6 years, and most recently at Prov. Benedictine Orchard House for 6 months. Pre-deceased by her brother Harland (Bud) Brock, her husband, Ernie Miller, and her sons, Brock Kevin Miller and Kent Michael Miller both of Salem, Patti is survived by her beloved grandson, Peter Brock Miller of Beaverton, three nieces, three nephews and eight great nieces/nephews. Family services will be held at later date.