Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity, O.C.D.

For the past 31 years, Sister Mary Joseph was a member of the Carmelite Monastery of St Joseph in Des Plaines, IL. She died on June 5, 2021 after a remarkable life.
Born Mary Ann Russell on October 30, 1928, to Donald and Louise Russell in Sacramento, CA. Ann, as she was more familiarly known, grew up in Oregon, Los Angeles and Atherton. Educated at the Madames of the Sacred Heart in Menlo Park, she then graduated from the Spence School in New York before attending Mills College. In 1947, she met Richard Kendall Miller and they married on June 15, 1948. Dick worked at PG&E and the couple moved from Buttonwillow all the way up California to Oroville, setting up the hydroelectric grid for the utility company.

In 1949, after welcoming the first of their 10 children, the couple moved to San Francisco. Except for a stint in Monterey, they spent their lives in the City, active in the cultural and civic life of their hometown. Ann was proud of her membership in the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, Inc., both as a Founder of the Northern California Chapter and as the National Board President. She was happy to support Dick as the Opera Association Chairman and in his service as a SF Police Commissioner. But, their spiritual lives were the center of their marriage, from membership in the Order of Malta, and Order of the Holy Sepulchre; a Founder of the Daughters of Charity Foundation, to the International Dominican Foundation and as California Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. They enjoyed sharing their San Mateo County retreat, the Island Farm, with friends and family.

Dick died in 1984. After five years, she joyfully entered into a life of prayer and contemplation on October 31, 1989. She received and answered prodigious correspondence and welcomed visitors to the Monastery in Des Plaines, with permission of the sisters.

Ann/ Sister Mary Joseph is survived by her children: Donna Casey of San Francisco; Dick (Laurie) Miller of Santa Rosa; Janet (Frank) Abbott of Hillsborough; Marian Miller of Ross, Leslie (David) Schemel of Vero Beach, FL; Donald (Cynthia) Miller of Napa; David Miller of San Mateo; Mark (Kiki) Miller of Poway, CA and Elena (Jake) Caruso of Millbrae; her 28 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
She also leaves several godchildren and Dick's nieces and nephews.
Predeceased by her parents, her sister Donna in 1938 and her son Douglas in 2002.

Private funeral services for the family will be held at the Monastery on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

Contributions may be made to Carmelite Monastery of St Joseph, 949 N River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016 or to the ARCS Foundation, Inc., NCC PO Box 29405, San Francisco, CA 94129-0405

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jun. 7 to Jun. 13, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Mary Joseph

3 Entries

Bev Willis

June 10, 2021

A Memory
I met Ann Miller in the aisle of a small convenience store, when shopping with Maria Mymy Howard. She was barefoot and pregnant. Wore a sack-like maternity pull-over dress. Carried a young child in her arms. Her long hair was rangy and unkept. But she was cheerful and greeted me warmly.

When I next saw her, she was transformed into a model socialite in a designer-suit and coiffed hair. We hit it off. She was delighted to learn I was an artist-architect. And from that point until she entered a Monastery, I would provide the design services she needed for her charities fundraising events. Of course, at no charge.

At one point the list of charity work was so long, I convinced one of my staff designers, Gary Johnson, to help. Like me, he loved working with her. Her wit was bent-over-with-laughter funny. As her leadership responsibilities at ARCS (Achievement Awards for College Scientists) grew in scope from Local to State to National, her friendships grew. In Los Angeles, she became friends with Bob Hope and his wife, Delores. He commented that Ann was a natural born comic. And could easily make it in the stand-up comic business. When he visited her at the Monastery, the nuns were most excited, fluttering around to get a glimpse of him. She also became friends with actress Mary Martin, who I met at one of her parties.

When she became Sister Mary Joseph, I gave several hundred dollars every year to support the Carmelite Monastery.

My Condolences to the Family.

Veronica Mowery

June 8, 2021

May God Bless you! Please pray for us. Our family evening rosary said on your behalf tonight.

Marjorie McCullough

June 7, 2021

God Bless you Sister Mary Joseph! Pray for us, families and for vocations. Your story is remarkable. It was a blessing to have met you at your jubilee. God loves you. Our deepest sympathy to your children and friends. Forever in our hearts.

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results