Sr. Virginia Miller, age 98, a Sister of Providence for 77 years, died on May 15, 2026, at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Sr. Virginia was born in Longview, Washington, on March 30, 1928 — the youngest of three daughters to her parents, Leon and Margaret (Slamnik) Miller. Sr. Virginia’s fun-loving personality shined from the very start, as she enjoyed an active childhood chock-full of outdoor adventures by land and water, no matter the season. She was very athletic, playing five sports, including hockey and volleyball, during her time at Robert A. Long High School.
Alongside her sisters Genevieve and Virginia (who would become Sr. Mary Leona, SP), Sr. Virginia enjoyed support and encouragement from her parents in a devoutly Catholic home. Her call to religious life first sparked when the Millers hosted Vancouver, Washington-based Sisters of Providence who were teaching Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes. Sr. Virginia was also impressed by a series of joyful and enthusiastic firsthand impressions while visiting her oldest sister, after Sr. Mary Leona (1920-2012) entered the community in 1942.
Sr. Virginia would embark on her own journey to become a Sister of Providence in 1949, becoming a Novice in 1949 and professing her First Vows in 1950. She earned a Bachelor of Art in Education at the College of Great Falls (now University of Providence) in 1952, and then professed her final vows in 1953. Additional academic achievements included a master certification program in religious education from Mt. Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1967; and a master’s in religious education from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, in 1975.
The new Sister made an immediate impact on young lives across Washington state, with teaching stints at St. Patrick’s School in Walla Walla (1950-51), St. Joseph Academy in Yakima (1951-52, 1960-63), Holy Rosary School in Moxee (1954-59), St. Joseph Grade School in Yakima (1959-60), St. Michael School in Olympia (1960), and Providence Academy in Vancouver (1963-65).
In 1967, Sr. Virginia pivoted to parish ministry to meet the growing needs of rural ministries, which proved to be an exciting and passionate chapter of her life. She partnered with Sr. Elizabeth Joyce, SP, (1935-2010) to inaugurate the Vancouver Apostolate, a rural outreach training ministry that reached volunteers across five parishes. The two Sisters would go on to become the first rural ministry team in the Archdiocese of Seattle in 1978, and lived and ministered out of a 23-foot trailer for three years to best meet the needs of their widespread service areas. In total, Sr. Virginia would serve in the illustrious ministry for eight years.
Beginning in 1995, Sr. Virginia also ministered as a pastoral life director for 11 years, and was also the director of the Upper Room spiritual support ministry in Centralia. She was also a cherished volunteer in the Providence Archives.
Sr. Virginia naturally embodied her life sentiments of love and togetherness. She was a loyal and proud Seattle sports fan, hoisting the famed 12 Flag at St. Joseph Residence prior to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win in February. Her deep compassion for others has fueled faithful, good works across the countless lives she has touched. She will be deeply missed.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters. She is survived by her nephew, Jerry (Linda) Duve, her niece, Helen Selisker, numerous cousins and by the Sisters in her religious community.
Memorial contributions may be made in her honor to the Sisters of Providence Retirement Fund, 1801 Lind Avenue SW, M1-C, Renton, WA 98057-9016.
To view Sr. Lucy’s obituary and picture, and to sign her memory book, please visit the website for Bonney-Watson Funeral Home.