Anne Miller

Anne Miller, 77, of Columbia, Maryland, passed from this life on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Maryland.
Born on May 18, 1942, in Washington, DC, she was the daughter of the late Robert Arthur and Helen (Henderson) Shaw.
Anne was a member of the Class of 1960 at Montgomery Blair High School. Anne and her then husband, Ralph Julian “Jay” Miller, Jr., started a family in 1967 and were blessed with three girls, Michele, Alexandra and Leslie. They moved to Finksburg in 1977 with the intention of restoring a farm house. They divorced, and three years later the family lost Michele to a car accident in 1989, a heartbreak Anne never fully mended. Anne, Leslie and Alex moved to Columbia in 1989. Anne was employed at the NSA and then as a defense contractor. In 1996 Anne decided to move to Ocracoke, NC. Anne
worked in motels and gift shops over the years, made wonderful friends and many memories. She split the year between Ocracoke and Columbia. Anne enjoyed the neighbors in Columbia and the community in Ocracoke. It is the people that made these places home for Anne.
Her most cherished times were spent with her family (especially her grandchildren, Nicholas and Wyatt) and her friends. She ensured that birthdays were acknowledged with a card or phone call and most often just the right gift. Anne was certain to have a special project for the grandkids at the holidays, evidence of her belief that life experiences were what made life valuable. Anne had an unstoppable spirit. This showed through in many ways, most remarkably through her fight with medical issues. Over the last 20 years, Anne was diagnosed with three different forms of cancer - the first one came with a terminal diagnosis. She required the use of a foot brace and cane due to a back surgery meant to alleviate pain but which added troubles instead. Through it all, Anne stayed connected with friends, continued her love of Ocracoke and had 12 and 8 years with her grandchildren - the biggest gift of all.
Anne is survived by her daughters, Alexandra Walker and husband, Mike, of New Market and Leslie Cole and husband, Bill, of Ocracoke, North Carolina; grandsons, Nicholas Cole and Wyatt Walker; brother, Thomas Shaw and his wife, Linda, of Crownsville and sister-in-law, Barbara Shaw of Arnold.
Anne was preceded in death by her daughter, Michele Miller; her brother, Robert Shaw; and her long-time companion, Robert Heim.
The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2019 and immediately following services at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike in Frederick. A celebration of Anne's life journey will take place at 10:30 am on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at Stauffer Funeral Home in Frederick, MD.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to support disaster relief in her beloved Ocracoke or to the American Cancer Society. School donations may be made to Ocracoke School PO Box 189, Ocracoke, NC 27960. General community donations may be made through the Outer Banks Disaster Relief Fund ( www.obcf.org ) and designate Ocracoke.
Expressions of sympathy may be offered to the family at StaufferFuneralHome.com.