Herald-Mail; Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD 8/25/12
Shirley Fout Miller was a walking medical miracle.
She contracted tuberculosis at age 12 from her mother, about seven years after Shirley's younger sister and only sibling, Joan, died of diphtheria at age 5 in 1931.
Shirley was not expected to live more than a few months. She spent the next 11 years recovering, in and out of the Maryland State Sanatorium near Sabillasville, Md.
It was while battling TB that she developed her "incredible faith," said daughter Holly Miller, who lives near Philadelphia.
Later in life, Shirley survived two bouts with breast cancer and a recurrence of TB, among other things.
"She's been cheating death for 75 years," Holly said.
Her mother was a voracious reader, and one of her favorite authors was Edith Wharton, Holly said.
"She was living in the gilded age. She wanted to live in the kind of society of Edith Wharton and Jane Eyre," said Milton Ezrati, Holly's longtime significant other.
When she was ill, she used her confinement as an opportunity to develop her artistic side. Unable to attend school, Shirley completed a correspondence course and earned her certificate from the New York School of Interior Design.
After she recovered, Shirley studied with two prominent artists in Washington, D.C. Most of her work is in private collections, but some of her pen and ink and watercolor artwork have been published — in the St. John's Lutheran Church cookbook, two Washington County historical calendars and the calendar of Williamsburg, Va. She also did fashion drawings for ads for local businesses, including Lena Darner.
Shirley's last public appearance was in May at a showing of her artwork at the Washington County Arts Council.
"She taught me how to draw. That's a big part of my life," said granddaughter Kerry Gibbons, a costume designer in New York.
Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1925 in Frederick, Md., Shirley went on to live a long life, with a passion for style, entertaining and Chardonnay.
"She had such a zest for life. It came from the sanatorium, being a bystander in life for more than a decade. She had to figure how to use this life that she didn't expect to have," said Barrick Miller of Boulder Creek, Calif., the oldest of the Millers' three children.
An invitation to the Millers' home meant a beautiful table set with china, silver, flowers and handpainted placecards.
"My mother was the queen of entertaining," Holly said. "She absolutely adored it."
Grandson James Gibbons said there were many things his grandmother loved, but none more than her husband of 61 years, Richard "Dick" Miller.
"She was delighted to see him come through the door," said James, a prosecutor in Philadelphia.
"They had this truly lasting love affair," Holly said.
Shirley Fout Miller was a walking medical miracle.
She contracted tuberculosis at age 12 from her mother, about seven years after Shirley's younger sister and only sibling, Joan, died of diphtheria at age 5 in 1931.
Shirley was not expected to live more than a few months. She spent the next 11 years recovering, in and out of the Maryland State Sanatorium near Sabillasville, Md.
It was while battling TB that she developed her "incredible faith," said daughter Holly Miller, who lives near Philadelphia.
Later in life, Shirley survived two bouts with breast cancer and a recurrence of TB, among other things.
"She's been cheating death for 75 years," Holly said.
Her mother was a voracious reader, and one of her favorite authors was Edith Wharton, Holly said.
"She was living in the gilded age. She wanted to live in the kind of society of Edith Wharton and Jane Eyre," said Milton Ezrati, Holly's longtime significant other.
When she was ill, she used her confinement as an opportunity to develop her artistic side. Unable to attend school, Shirley completed a correspondence course and earned her certificate from the New York School of Interior Design.
After she recovered, Shirley studied with two prominent artists in Washington, D.C. Most of her work is in private collections, but some of her pen and ink and watercolor artwork have been published — in the St. John's Lutheran Church cookbook, two Washington County historical calendars and the calendar of Williamsburg, Va. She also did fashion drawings for ads for local businesses, including Lena Darner.
Shirley's last public appearance was in May at a showing of her artwork at the Washington County Arts Council.
"She taught me how to draw. That's a big part of my life," said granddaughter Kerry Gibbons, a costume designer in New York.
Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1925 in Frederick, Md., Shirley went on to live a long life, with a passion for style, entertaining and Chardonnay.
"She had such a zest for life. It came from the sanatorium, being a bystander in life for more than a decade. She had to figure how to use this life that she didn't expect to have," said Barrick Miller of Boulder Creek, Calif., the oldest of the Millers' three children.
An invitation to the Millers' home meant a beautiful table set with china, silver, flowers and handpainted placecards.
"My mother was the queen of entertaining," Holly said. "She absolutely adored it."
Grandson James Gibbons said there were many things his grandmother loved, but none more than her husband of 61 years, Richard "Dick" Miller.
"She was delighted to see him come through the door," said James, a prosecutor in Philadelphia.
"They had this truly lasting love affair," Holly said.
Herald-Mail; Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD 8/25/12
Shirley Fout Miller was a walking medical miracle.
She contracted tuberculosis at age 12 from her mother, about seven years after Shirley's younger sister and only sibling, Joan, died of diphtheria at age 5 in 1931.
Shirley was not expected to live more than a few months. She spent the next 11 years recovering, in and out of the Maryland State Sanatorium near Sabillasville, Md.
It was while battling TB that she developed her "incredible faith," said daughter Holly Miller, who lives near Philadelphia.
Later in life, Shirley survived two bouts with breast cancer and a recurrence of TB, among other things.
"She's been cheating death for 75 years," Holly said.
Her mother was a voracious reader, and one of her favorite authors was Edith Wharton, Holly said.
"She was living in the gilded age. She wanted to live in the kind of society of Edith Wharton and Jane Eyre," said Milton Ezrati, Holly's longtime significant other.
When she was ill, she used her confinement as an opportunity to develop her artistic side. Unable to attend school, Shirley completed a correspondence course and earned her certificate from the New York School of Interior Design.
After she recovered, Shirley studied with two prominent artists in Washington, D.C. Most of her work is in private collections, but some of her pen and ink and watercolor artwork have been published — in the St. John's Lutheran Church cookbook, two Washington County historical calendars and the calendar of Williamsburg, Va. She also did fashion drawings for ads for local businesses, including Lena Darner.
Shirley's last public appearance was in May at a showing of her artwork at the Washington County Arts Council.
"She taught me how to draw. That's a big part of my life," said granddaughter Kerry Gibbons, a costume designer in New York.
Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1925 in Frederick, Md., Shirley went on to live a long life, with a passion for style, entertaining and Chardonnay.
"She had such a zest for life. It came from the sanatorium, being a bystander in life for more than a decade. She had to figure how to use this life that she didn't expect to have," said Barrick Miller of Boulder Creek, Calif., the oldest of the Millers' three children.
An invitation to the Millers' home meant a beautiful table set with china, silver, flowers and handpainted placecards.
"My mother was the queen of entertaining," Holly said. "She absolutely adored it."
Grandson James Gibbons said there were many things his grandmother loved, but none more than her husband of 61 years, Richard "Dick" Miller.
"She was delighted to see him come through the door," said James, a prosecutor in Philadelphia.
"They had this truly lasting love affair," Holly said.
Shirley Fout Miller was a walking medical miracle.
She contracted tuberculosis at age 12 from her mother, about seven years after Shirley's younger sister and only sibling, Joan, died of diphtheria at age 5 in 1931.
Shirley was not expected to live more than a few months. She spent the next 11 years recovering, in and out of the Maryland State Sanatorium near Sabillasville, Md.
It was while battling TB that she developed her "incredible faith," said daughter Holly Miller, who lives near Philadelphia.
Later in life, Shirley survived two bouts with breast cancer and a recurrence of TB, among other things.
"She's been cheating death for 75 years," Holly said.
Her mother was a voracious reader, and one of her favorite authors was Edith Wharton, Holly said.
"She was living in the gilded age. She wanted to live in the kind of society of Edith Wharton and Jane Eyre," said Milton Ezrati, Holly's longtime significant other.
When she was ill, she used her confinement as an opportunity to develop her artistic side. Unable to attend school, Shirley completed a correspondence course and earned her certificate from the New York School of Interior Design.
After she recovered, Shirley studied with two prominent artists in Washington, D.C. Most of her work is in private collections, but some of her pen and ink and watercolor artwork have been published — in the St. John's Lutheran Church cookbook, two Washington County historical calendars and the calendar of Williamsburg, Va. She also did fashion drawings for ads for local businesses, including Lena Darner.
Shirley's last public appearance was in May at a showing of her artwork at the Washington County Arts Council.
"She taught me how to draw. That's a big part of my life," said granddaughter Kerry Gibbons, a costume designer in New York.
Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1925 in Frederick, Md., Shirley went on to live a long life, with a passion for style, entertaining and Chardonnay.
"She had such a zest for life. It came from the sanatorium, being a bystander in life for more than a decade. She had to figure how to use this life that she didn't expect to have," said Barrick Miller of Boulder Creek, Calif., the oldest of the Millers' three children.
An invitation to the Millers' home meant a beautiful table set with china, silver, flowers and handpainted placecards.
"My mother was the queen of entertaining," Holly said. "She absolutely adored it."
Grandson James Gibbons said there were many things his grandmother loved, but none more than her husband of 61 years, Richard "Dick" Miller.
"She was delighted to see him come through the door," said James, a prosecutor in Philadelphia.
"They had this truly lasting love affair," Holly said.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
