Deacon Gene Rayeil Miller, Ofs

Deacon Gene Rayeil Miller, OFS

February 5, 1934 - December 29, 2019

A Memorial service Mass for Gene Rayeil Miller will be held Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Disciples in Puyallup Washington.

Gene Rayeil Miller was born February 5, 1934 and was the oldest child of Raymond and Eileen Miller. He attended seminary schools in preparation for the priesthood before joining the Marines then returning home to marry his sweetheart Bernice. They had eight children while Gene changed careers from the Marines, to Boeing and finally to the Department of the Army. While raising their young family in Renton, Gene attended Seattle University and competed degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies. A downturn at the Boeing Company in the early 70s began a journey that took the family across the country, first to Pueblo Colorado and then Pennsylvania. Gene and Bernice eventually purchased a 150 year-old farm house on 10 acres outside Gettysburg.

Gene and Bernice spent the next 20 years raising their children, watching them leave home for college and military service. It was here that Gene was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church in June 1982 and began welcoming grandchildren into their expanding family. Gene and Bernice also took the opportunity to travel and visit their children serving in the military in England, Germany and Sicily. With their children grown and work careers reaching retirement, they moved back home to Western Washington in 1995.

In Graham, Gene and Bernice built a new home with a workshop and lots of space for gardens and outdoor projects. Outside, their home was equipped with a large covered deck for hosting family celebrations. Inside there was a large kitchen and dining room for big family dinners. The walls were covered in what seemed hundreds of photographs and mementos of their large family and many happy years together.  Gene enjoyed gardening and created landscapes of beautiful flowers, lush vegetable and fruit patches and fruit trees from the raw land.  After his first workshop burned down (known as the “Kingdome” by his grandchildren due to its tin roof and henceforth remembered as the “great Kingdome fire”), his son Marion built a much better workshop filled with tools and worktables. Gene spent many hours in the new workshop building things; a display case for Bernice’s Christmas Village, weather stations, furniture and toys for his grandchildren, bird feeders and rosaries.

Soon after moving back to Washington, Gene and Bernice became members of Saints Cosmos and Damien church in Orting where Gene served as Deacon. As a mission parish, Gene and Bernice’s ministry service became a mainstay in the small Catholic community. During this time, Gene was able to become more fully involved with his role as a Deacon and together with Bernice they spent many happy years there. After many years of active service in the Archdiocese, Gene retired from his role as the Deacon at Saints Cosmas and Damien and joined the Secular Franciscan Order to continue his spiritual journey in a less demanding fashion.

The next phase of their journey began in 2010 when Bernice was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In 2012 Gene and Bernice moved to Florida to join their daughter Linda and her husband Mark. Linda and Mark became their primary caregivers and lovingly managed their care as Gene was diagnosed with his own medical issue. Together, Linda, Mark, Bernice and Gene spent the next 6 years living, loving, laughing and crying as the twilight years advanced. On August 3, 2018 Bernice joined her two children Marion and Michelle in heaven. A little over a year later on December 29, 2019, the Feast of the Holy Family, Gene went to be with his beloved bride of 60 years.

Gene spent 85 years living, laughing and loving his life.  He was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, minister and friend to all.  He will be greatly missed.  Rest in Peace Dad.  We love you.