Maggie Miller

Maggie Miller East Lansing The greatest gift one human being can give to another is a belief in his or her potential. During her life, Maggie Miller gave this gift to thousands of Michigan students. She was a legendary counselor, compassionate educator and advocate of college for many who never considered it until she came into their lives. Maggie died Nov. 2, 2008. She was 56. Margaret Frances Miller was born in Battle Creek in 1952 to two educators, Frances and Charles Miller. Her career in education began in 1974. She taught at Harbor Springs High School and served as a guidance counselor at Dewitt High School and then Okemos High School until 2006, when ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) forced her to retire. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Michigan State University. She is survived by her husband, Stan Soffin of East Lansing; her sister and brother-in-law, Marty and Hank Cupp and her niece and nephew, Emily and Ryan Cupp, all of Ludington. Also surviving are her three step-daughters, Anne Soffin, Katie (Soffin) Smith and Emily (Soffin) Dove-Medows, all originally of East Lansing; and several cousins. "Ms. Miller," as she was affectionately called, possessed a superabundance of energy, humor, empathy and understanding that endeared her to her students, co-workers and her multitude of friends. In 2006, The Maggie Miller Kind Hearted Scholarship was established through the Capital Region Community Foundation. The fund is designed to assist college-bound students at Okemos High School who give back to their communities by unselfishly helping others. For two decades, she served the professional associations devoted to student advising and college admissions, winning many awards. In 2007, the Michigan Association for College Admissions Counseling (MACAC) presented her with the Gramenz Award, its highest honor. The College of Education at Michigan State University awarded her the Crystal Apple Award in 2007 for her excellence in and commitment to her profession. Recently, the Maggie Miller Scholarship was established through MACAC as a tribute to her lifetime of contributions to college admissions counseling. Her letters of recommendation were legendary among college admission officers, who often commented on the originality, humor, personal detail and thoroughness of the carefully-crafted letters. She consistently said that character and service combined with achievement and integrity were paramount to college success. Maggie was inundated with invitations to attend her students' high school graduation parties. She attended almost every one, arriving with a handwritten and personalized congratulations card, based on her relationship with that student. Memorial contributions may be made to the Maggie Miller Kind Hearted Scholarship, c/o Capital Region Community Foundation, 6025 Executive Drive, Lansing, MI, 48911; or the Motor Neuron Disease Center Fund, Department of Neurology, 1324 Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0322. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Marriott University Place in East Lansing. The dress code will be the colors of the rainbow.