Gene Spaulding

1925 - 2020

SPAULDING (Miller Davis), Gene K. Gene K. Miller Davis Spaulding passed away on Sunday, September 20, 2020, at Ohio Living Mount Pleasant in Monroe, Ohio, at the age of 95. Gene was born in Delaware, Ohio, to Elsa & Carl Kissner on January 26, 1925. When she was 12, the family moved to Athens, Ohio, where she met her future husband, Henry (Hank) Miller. They were seniors in high school when Pearl Harbor was bombed. She was president of the Presbyterian Youth Group that year. Gene graduated 1st in her class from Athens High School. She had a scholarship to Ohio University where she majored in mathematics & psychology. She was treasurer of the campus Red Cross; a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority; Alpha Lambda Delta freshman women's honorary; Psi Chi psychology honorary; Phi Beta Kappa & Panhellenic Council. She graduated summa cum laude in 1945 at age 20. Armco Steel (AK Steel) in Middletown hired her as a statistical analyst in their original Commercial Research Dept. She was told that she was one of only two women who had a "man's job"! She also worked a year for Armco International. Gene & Hank raised their family & lived in Middletown for 40 years. Gene did the usual "Mom" things 10 years as a Girl Scout Leader; one as a Boy Scout Den Mother; PTA treasurer; 15+ years on the Red Cross Disaster Team and as a hospital volunteer in Middletown & later in Sun City West, AZ. At First Presbyterian Church in Middletown, she was president of their Deaconess Board during its second year. For a few years, she was also head of the Children's Committee which planned Vacation Bible School, Lenten programs, etc. Gene also joined the P.E.O. Sisterhood in 1967 & served in most of the offices both in Middletown & Sun City West. She moved to Sun City West in January 1985 with her husband Hank who died in May of 1986. After this, she was asked to run for the PORA Board, was elected & served as treasurer, deed restriction chairman, & secretary. Gene served twice on the board of Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West & 3 years as an Elder of Desert Palms Presbyterian Church where she served on the Christian Education Committee. Gene loved to travel, especially with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed golf, playing bridge, writing poetry, taking pictures of nature & painting (some from the pictures she had taken). She always said her proudest achievement (other than her family) was having donated almost 15 gallons of blood. Gene was preceded in death by the love of her life, Hank Miller in 1986, and also husbands Paul R. Davis in 1996 & John R. Spaulding in 2009. She was also predeceased by her parents; a son, Henry E. Miller III; a great-grandson, Hunter E. Young; son-in-law Verl Howard; her brother Carlton Kissner; & sister Gertrude (Trudi) Bullard. Gene is survived by her children, Jeri (Mike) Petersen of Raleigh, NC; Ted (Marcia) Miller of Middletown, OH; Kathi Howard of Lebanon, Ohio; & Jan Miller of Franklin, Ohio; and four grandchildren, Brandon Howard, Cheryl (Ben) Couture, Michelle (Adam) McEntire & Grant Miller. She is also survived by 7 great-grandchildren, Kamden Young, Mikela Howard, Gracie Young, Aiden Couture & Jacob, Samuel & Charlotte McEntire. The family thanks Gene's many caregivers at Ohio Living Mount Pleasant for all of their wonderful care over the years & also Hospice of Dayton, especially her Mount Pleasant Hospice Nurse. Visitation will be from 10 AM-12 PM on Thursday, September 24, 2020, at Breitenbach Anderson Funeral Home, 517 S. Sutphin Ave in Middletown, OH. A Celebration of Life will be held at 12 PM at the funeral home. Burial will be private for the family at Woodside Cemetery. The Rev. Michael Isaacs of First Presbyterian Church will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church Mission Fund, 2910 Central Ave, Middletown, OH 45044 or to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave, Dayton, OH 45420. Due to COVID-19 masks are mandatory.