Joan Ellen Miller {May 25, 1951 - November 30, 2011}
At the beginning of December, Andy and I and the kids (plus my mom) took a trip to Vegas for a combined family visit and a tax seminar. We had a wonderful trip and visit with my aunt, uncle, three cousins and their husbands/wives/children. It turned out we hadn't all been together in over nine years (at the same time anyway), so it was very long over due. We had such an amazing trip, except that we had one very special member of the family missing....aunt Joanie. Joanie had come down with some health issues at the last minute and had to cancel coming on the trip with us. On one evening of the trip, the entire family was gathered around the dinner table and saying how we missed Joan and wishing there was something we could do to help. The next morning, we found out that Joan had passed away peacefully in her sleep and it turned out it had been right when we were all together talking.
Losing such a sweet, smart, spunky soul at the young age of only sixty has hit us all pretty hard. I know Joanie was always an avid reader of this blog...so it pains me extra to even be writing this.
Above all things, Joan loved animals. She had the biggest heart for her pets and the last time I spoke to her was about Dublin and how glad she was he'd found a happy home. She is survived by her 18 year old cat, Gracie, who misses her dearly. She loved watching all her nieces and nephews grow up. She loved President Obama and followed all the polictics religiously. She owned an encyclopedia collection about every President that ever lived, and owned about every classic book ever written. She loved shows about nature. I think the best way to remember tiny little Joan is to picture her watching National Geographic surrounded by books and with her cat on her lap.
My favorite way to remember her is smoking cigars with all the boys at my cousin Brian's wedding. She was dressed to the nines and all 4 foot 9 of her was sassing with all the young cute guys. Her personality always packed a punch, and everyone that knew her loved her.
I wanted to just put this out there into the blogosphere in hopes that she knows I am thinking of her often...of how much I loved her, how much I appreciated her as an aunt and how much fun I had with her growing up. I know things in the end for her weren't perfect, she was very lonely...but I know she's resting peacefully now with all her cats and dogs up in heaven. I just hope that now that she's there, she knows how much she was loved, how much she is missed and how very special she was to us all.
Love you, Joanie. I will always think of you with a smile.
