Kay Miller

Kathryn “Kay” Mackenzie Miller, 84, of Statesville, passed away Friday, February 28, 2025, at the Gordon Hospice House, following a brief illness.

Kay was born in Portsmouth, England, on March 29, 1940, to the late Commander Alexander James Mackenzie and Elizabeth Rees-Warton Mackenzie. As a child, she arrived in America largely growing up in the Carolinas, where she graduated from Newton-Conover High School and Davis Hospital School of Nursing, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She was employed as a Registered Nurse at Davis Hospital and Statesville Medical Group/Piedmont Healthcare for many years and was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

On November 19, 1961, she married her best friend and the love of her life, Joseph Larry Miller, who survives. Also surviving are her sons, Kevin A. Miller (Neva) of Statesville, and Stephen P. Miller of Charlotte; granddaughter, Caroline Miller Yon (Keith) of Charlotte; sisters, Martha Flax Troutman of Gold Hill, NC and Charlotte Catherine Wilkins of Cambridge, OH; and in addition, several nieces and nephews.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by sisters, Christina E. Paul, Madge O. Stanley, and Elizabeth R. Downs.

Kay has been active in the community her entire adult life, serving in numerous organizations.  She has assisted at church in several efforts, most recently with chairing the meal teams, guest door-stop visitations, visiting shut-ins, visiting nursing homes, teaching Sunday school, and the list goes on.  She has held several officer positions within her service sorority, Lamba Gamma Sigma Phi, developing lifelong friendships she has treasured with her co-members.  She was active in the Jaycees when there was a separate women’s chapter, serving as president during the same year her husband was president of the men’s chapter.  She was also active for a brief time in the Junior Service League in Statesville.  Kay has used her nursing background in many places both in and outside of her employment, providing assistance with many vaccination clinics, teaching nursing clinicals and many other opportunities for helping wherever she could. She was involved in her children’s school life and various classrooms, often serving as one of the “grade-mothers.”

Her life included fellowship and fun in so many places, one of which has been a very special group of ladies who started with a trip together to the coast, solidifying those as lifelong friends who have meant so much to her.  Kay has always loved people from all walks of life, cultivating friends and comrades along the journey, but what has meant most to her is the love and privilege of becoming a friend, sharing the highs and lows in each person’s life, as they have done so with her.  Her generous nature of compassion was evident in all the areas of service in which she has been involved.  She has been devoted to her husband and family, and within her communities.  Collectively, a likely agreement to describe the Kay Miller known to so many would illustrate that well known phrase, “To know her was to love her.”

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 7 at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, with Rev. Gervase Hitch and Rev. Dan Money, officiating. The family will visit with friends following the service at Statesville Country Club from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. Burial in Oakwood Cemetery will be prior to the funeral hour.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Tara Frankhouser and staff, the staff of Iredell Memorial Hospital, and the staff of the Gordon Hospice House for their love and care of Kay.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1901 Brunswick Ave., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28207, or Gordon Hospice House, 2341 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625, or Wesley Memorial UMC, 825 Wesley Drive, Statesville, NC 28677.

Troutman Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Kay Miller.