Donna Mae Miller

A journey that started nearly 95 years ago in Grand Forks, ND, came to a peaceful end on June 15th in the Sonoma Valley. Donna Mae Miller, known fondly as Mickey, passed tranquilly in her own home with her family and loved ones by her side.

Mickey was raised an only child during the height of the depression by four doting adults - her parents and grandparents. She’d go on to be the first woman in her family to get a college degree, majoring in social work at the University of North Dakota. She would continue on to a career in social work. After raising her family, she went back to school and earned a masters from Sonoma State. Mickey was always proud of her career and the people she served. She carried her hard work ethic, genuine curiosity, and compassion into all aspects of her life.

When she first met her future husband, Earl Miller (1925-2009) during a cold, midwestern winter hayride, he promised her adventure, and one day, a pool and a lemon tree. All his promises came true. The two raised 7 children - some born in Minneapolis, others in California. They “developed a deep love for the Bay Area, raising the kids in Mill Valley and later Dillon Beach, with a summer home in La Pine, OR before settling in Sonoma for their golden years.

Mickey raised a beautiful, strong, loving family that she was endlessly proud of. After raising her children, she devoted her life to her grandchildren and great-grandkids. In a drawer in her desk, she kept printouts of the emails from her seventeen grandchildren, telling her and Papa Earl where they'd gotten into college. Her fridge was always covered with school pictures of her great-grandkids.

Mickey had a smile and a laugh that could light up any room. She knew how to run a household and taught her children how to parent - how to love deeply, discipline fairly, and keep a tidy house. She was a loyal friend and ally, a talented painter, an active member of the St. Leo’s Women’s Guild, a lover of books and babies, a good game of Bridge and a Sunday afternoon swim. She was a jack of all trades, a go-getter, and a steady force in a turbulent world.

Whether you were one of her kids or grandkids or a friend she just met, Mickey's love for you was undeniable. When she spoke to you, you were the only and most important person in the world. She always had a piece of advice, an enveloping hug, and a glass of iced tea ready, no matter the occasion. It is her love, a love that always lacked judgement, that superseded time and space, that was endless and forgiving and warm, that she was most known for and that she leaves behind in all those who knew her.

Mickey is survived by her seven children, seventeen grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and dozens of extended family members and friends. We know she and Earl are sipping gin martinis together by a pool under a lemon tree, sending their love back to us.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Sonoma on Friday, July 22 at 10:30 a.m. with a reception following.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donna Mae Miller, please visit our floral store.