(Persis) Jeanne (Woodgate) Miller

(Persis) Jeanne (Woodgate) Miller, 98, beloved wife of Barry K. Miller, of Mt. Lebanon, passed away, peacefully in her sleep, on December 25, 2024.

 Jeanne was born June 23, 1926, in Toledo, Ohio, then moved to Pittsburgh as a child to Fernwald Road in Squirrel Hill and attended Colfax Grade School on Beechwood Blvd. She then moved to Brookside Farms (now in Upper St. Clair) where she attended middle and high schools in the Mt. Lebanon School District. While there she sang in the Westminster Presbyterian Church choir (where she was (to be) later married).

Jeanne graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1944, with honors. She played basketball, sang in the choir and was a member of the Triple Trio. Jeanne was also a member of the National Honor Society. Jeanne graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville PA in 1948, and received multiple scholarships during her time as a student there and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Jeanne sang and toured with the college choirs. She had multiple solo and small group opportunities and played the piano for some of the performances as well.

Jeanne wrote small poems and lyrics to songs during her school days and always enjoyed telling stories to friends, nieces and nephews, daughter and her grandchildren.

After graduation, Jeanne worked at Reed-Smith Law Firm from 1948 to 1950, moving to the Ketchum, McLeod and Grove advertising agency as a stenographer. After a year, she was promoted to executive secretary, a position she held until her final retirement in 1989. Friends and co-workers at Ketchum recalled Jeanne as kind, friendly, and hardworking, and Jeanne received many letters of commendation during her tenures with Ketchum (including a note from the late Jack Heinz) first from 1950 through 1963 and then 1979 through 1989.

Jeanne was immensely proud of her 57 years of membership in the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and, in addition to singing, served as membership secretary, Board secretary and Choir secretary (all volunteers!) from 1950 through 2008. She was able to work with conductors such as Robert Shaw, William Steinberg, Andre Previn, and most notably, Robert Page. In the 1990s and early 2000, she toured Puerto Rico, Chautauqua, New York, England and Wales with the Choir as well as many places in Europe with the Robert Page Festival Singers.

She enjoyed gardening and introduced her granddaughter to gardening. She served as "cookie mom" when her daughter was a Girl Scout and had a large role in the raising of her grandchildren. She taught her daughter and grandchildren the value of kindness and of being yourself. Jeanne was always noted for her kindness and friendliness, her extraordinary memory for names and faces, and the readiness of a smile for everyone she met.

Jeanne is survived by her husband of 63 years, Barry K. Miller, whom she met in Mendelssohn Choir, a daughter, Kristin St. Laurent, a granddaughter. Susannah (James) Hilliard and their two sons, and a grandson, Jonathan St. Laurent. There will be a private, family interment, and an open visitation on Friday February 7 from 1-3:30 PM and Saturday February 8 from 1-4 PM at Laughlin Cremation & Funeral Tributes 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh at https://www.themendelssohn.org/support or WQED-FM radio at 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Condolences may be expressed via Laughlin Funeral Home; www.laughlinfuneralhome.com

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