Judith “Judy” Nell Brown Miller was born in McMinnville, Tennessee on July 17, 1954, to the late Helen and Harold Mead Brown. Judy grew up on her family’s centennial dairy farm in Hillsboro, Tennessee, riding horses and ponies with her brothers and many cousins, enjoyed performing in the color guard in high school, and met Sam, her husband of over 45 years, while she was pursuing her degree in elementary education at MTSU. After completing her degree, the two were married and had many adventures with their two daughters while stationed at various Marine Corps bases. Judy taught elementary school, substituted and was a room mother, and also taught piano lessons out of their home. She loved music, gardening, cooking, and cross stitching. Judy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1985 and was active in the National MS Society for decades, as both an advocate and a mentor to newly diagnosed MS patients. When Sam retired from the Marines, the family settled on land that was part of the original Brown farm, and Judy renewed her passions for teaching piano lessons and serving as her Church Historian. Judy was a born teacher and had a lifelong mutual adoration with every child she met. The children of her nieces and nephews and her own beloved grandchildren gave her so much joy.
In addition to her parents, Judy is preceded in death by her brother, Tom Brown. She is survived by her loving husband of 45 years, Sam Miller; 2 wonderful daughters, Juli Miller, and Katie Visbal and her husband, Andy; 2 wonderful grandchildren, Ruthie and Mateo Visbal; brothers, George Brown and his wife, June, and Bobby Brown and his wife, Denise; sister-in-law, Becky Brown; several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, and a host of friends.
Judy passed away on Saturday August 28, 2021, at the age of 67 at home across from her mountain, with her family.
Graveside services will be conducted on Monday, August 30, 2021, at 11 AM in the Hillsboro United Methodist Cemetery
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the National MS Society. https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/Donation2?df_id=55995&55995.donation=form1
