Valary Anne Miller

1954 - 2020

Valary Anne Miller
March 7, 1954 - June 14, 2020
Resident of San Jose
Valary Anne Miller, unexpectedly passed away on June 14. Born to Dianne and Richard Miller, raised by Dianne and John ("Jay") Ruberg. She was 66 years old.
Val's youth and early adulthood revolved around sailing. At an early age she was given a small sailboat and taught how to sail. Her family had three different sailboats overtime that they raced in San Francisco Bay and sailed along the coast. In college, Val was the only female member of the San Jose State University Sailing Team. Sailing was her fondest memory and the experience helped make Val a strong and self confident person.
Next to sailing, Val loved cooking. Fine food and wine was her passion. Growing up, she cooked meals and baked bread for her parents, but Val had no formal training in cooking. Nonetheless, she got a job in a commercial kitchen where she learned about food, palate, and cooking. She became a pastry chef preparing hundreds of souffles each week. She loved cooking for friends and family, often in formal, multi course dinners, each course with a different paired wine.
Valary had a variety of occupations - store manager, pastry chef, project manager, events planner - which culminated in her late thirties when she decided to become a lawyer. She entered Santa Clara University School of Law which was challenging for her, but she persevered, successfully completing her degree and passing the bar in 1995. Val enjoyed a successful legal career practicing corporate and business law, consumer finance law, estate planning, and as an Associate Dean at the Lincoln Law School of San Jose.
She loved her friends and family, and she loved dogs. Large dogs in particular were her favorite, including German Shepherds and Akitas. Her closest companion for the last ten years is Max, a 70 pound American Staffordshire Terrier. She loved animals of all kinds, adopting cats (the latest being Kismet), feeding hummingbirds (she had four feeders and as many as a dozen birds flying around her house) and donating to animal shelters and the Marine Mammal Center.
Val will be remembered for her engaging smile and laughing eyes. She was a beautiful person; charming and glamorous. Within her physical beauty was an inner beauty, a loving and caring heart driven by a keen sense of ethics and justice. Her competitive spirit made her a fighter, independent and strong willed. Val was a winner because of this spirit. She achieved everything she sought to do and enjoyed life while doing it. Val was a passionate and loving person whose energy and determination affected everyone around her. She will be deeply missed.
Val is survived by her sister Chris Carino, her brothers Dan Miller and Michael Miller, and her close friends Patricia Morris, Ron Anderson and Rob Kambak.
Remembrance of Val would be best by donations to the Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA.


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