Kathryn Starkey Miller

Kathryn Starkey Miller, 82, of Spring Hill, Florida, passed away on July 23, 2025 in the morning. "In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus," was a sign she had for years in her bedroom, and we had taken it to the hospice house to be put above her bed. And it was in the early morning surrounded by her sister, her son, and three daughters when she peacefully passed through heaven's gates to see Jesus face to face. This was a day that she long looked forward to - to be in the presence of Him - and to see loved ones that passed before her.

Kathy and her twin sister, Karin, were born in Wilmington, Delaware on January 9, 1943 to Thomas H. and Catherine "Lucile" Starkey. They were there a year before her parents moved back to Michigan. She grew up in Detroit (and a year in Canada). And then with her mother and sister, she moved to Bradenton, Florida in 1957. After high school, she followed her mother's vocation, nursing, and attended the Gordon Keller School of Nursing and the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. It was after nursing school while working at Tampa General that she nursed and befriended a young lady, Hedy Miller, before Hedy passed away from leukemia. This meeting eventually led to her marriage to James F. Miller on December 4, 1965 and becoming Mama to Charlotte, age 4 and Bert, age 20 months. Three and half years later, Michelle was born followed by Kristine two years later.

Kathy's nursing career took her from Tampa General, to working in an office for Dr. Teodor, to a hospital in Monroe, Georgia where she also taught nursing students, to working for in an office again with Dr. Straub, and eventually to Doctors Walk-In Clinics where she worked for 26 years as Head Nurse and later Director of Nursing at the corporate level. After retirement, she continued to "nurse" and care for friends at church from taking blood pressures, to driving friends to doctors appointments, and even temporarily moving in with a friend to take care of before that friend moved to hospice.

Kathy LOVED the Lord! From a very young age, she started following Him and leaned on Him in good times and bad. She reflected the love of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit in the way she lived her life, and as a result her life was a witness. She loved to study God's Word and to pour into other ladies and the single moms at her church always ministering to and serving others. She loved her church and loved sharing scriptures and prayed daily for her family and friends. Not only did we go to her for parental and medical advice, but we also frequently went to her for godly wisdom and for prayer. She was a faithful Christian in every sense of the word.

And Kathy loved being a Mom and Grandma "Nina!" From the day she married, she was Mama until she took her last breath on Earth surrounded by all four of her children and sister. She had eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was truly an amazing Mom, mother-in-law, and Nina who loved everyone unconditionally. She had a gift of making every single one of us feel so uniquely special. She had a special relationship with each of us and we adored her.

In addition to following the Lord and being Mom and Nina, she also enjoyed through the years: reading, sewing, cross-stitching, traveling with family and friends, and making everything around her so pretty (a mustard jar was never just set on the table and pillow cases were ironed). She loved hanging out with her friends, her sister, and family. Kathy also loved praising the Lord even though she was tone deaf, so she looked forward to the day she could sing like Sandi Patty when she got to heaven!

Kathy is survived by her twin sister, Karin Starkey, daughter Charlotte (David) Edge, son Bert (Graciela) Miller, daughter Michelle (Rob) Anderson, and daughter Kristine (Tim) Clarkson; eleven grandchildren: Amanda (Chad) Smith, R.J. Edge, Tanner Clarkson, Jeff (Tori) Clarkson, Darlene (Will) Powell, Michael (Amanda) Miller, Zackery Anderson, Ezekiel (Amber) Anderson, Julianna Anderson, Elijah Anderson, and Nathanael Anderson; and seven great-grandchildren: Kyler Gronewald, Connor Gronewald, Wyatt Smith, Cody Smith, Jolene Clarkson, Oliver Clarkson, and Lydia Miller.

There will be a Celebration of Life service at the Christian Church in the Wildwood in Weeki Wachee on August 23, 2025 at 11am. A time of fellowship will follow the service.

"For those who live in the Lord will never see each other for the last time. Amen & Amen"