| Graduation Year | Class of 1973 |
| Date of Passing | Aug 14, 2022 |
| About | Anita Gail Miller, age 66, peacefully passed from this earth into the Lord’s care on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at The Good Shepherd Home in Ashland following a lengthy and courageous battle with multiple sclerosis. Anita was born on October 4, 1955, in Ashland. Her father, Kerry Smith, passed away when Anita was a teenager and her mother, Patricia Ann (Miller) Smith, later remarried Donn Horchler. Anita was blessed to have all three parents in her life. She was a 1973 graduate of Ontario High School and a 1976 graduate of The Ohio State University, earning her master’s degree. She attended Bowling Green State University as a Freshman, where she made life-long friendships with a special group of ladies. As an seventh-grader at Ontario, Anita met a boy named Rod. They were pretty much inseparable from then on and they were the picture-perfect high school sweethearts—Anita was a cheerleader and Rod was on the football team. On June 19, 1976, she married Rodney Lee Miller and together they had a daughter, Lindsay, and son, Scott. Anita was a 3rd grade teacher for the Ontario Local School District for over 20 years and previously worked for Discovery School. Students dearly wanted to be in Mrs. Miller’s class because it was well-known that her third graders got their first taste of independent driving on the last day of school… each student got a turn to take a lap around the playground in Mrs. Miller’s motorized scooter! She touched the lives of many students and her fellow teachers as well. Her passion for learning and teaching was evident beyond the classroom and upon retirement, she continued to tutor students for as long as she was able. In spare time, Anita enjoyed knitting, spinning pottery at the Mansfield Art Center, and spending time with her grandchildren. She often shared fond memories of being a member of First English Lutheran Church in Mansfield where she was a part of the bell choir many years ago. Over the years, she served as a leader of the Richland County Down Syndrome Group, and was actively involved in the Richland County Democratic Party. Anita is survived by her daughter Lindsay (Philip) Williams of Avon Lake, OH; son Scott Miller of Mansfield, OH; four grandchildren, brothers-in-law, Rick Miller, Terry (Liz) Miller, and Tom Miller. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Rodney Lee Miller in 1996, and brothers Craig Smith and Steve Smith. |
