Diane Miller

Spanish Fork, UT – Diane Kirkham Miller passed away December 11, 2020, after several long months of complications due to multiple surgeries. We are grateful she could come home for her final few hours and be surrounded by family and friends, laughter and tears, and all the noise and love that goes along with being the life of the party.

Diane was born May 17, 1947, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to LaPreal Rich Pugmire Kirkham and ElMoine Woodhouse Kirkham. She spent many summers in Bear Lake with her sister, Kate, and her extensive Pugmire branch of the family. It is where she learned her life-time love for the area, and a dislike for raspberries in any form, other than a fresh-raspberry shake from Bear Lake.

She graduated from Salt Lake City’s East High, class of 1965, and studied at Brigham Young University, originally pursuing a music major as a cellist, but graduating in 1969 with a degree in Elementary Education.

She met her sweetheart, Dennis Ray Miller, when they lived next door to each other on Provo’s University Avenue. She always said she caught his attention by stealing his motorcycle and replacing it with an ironing board. (The motorcycle later took the ironing board’s place in her kitchen.) They married August 11, 1970, in the Salt Lake City Temple and just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer. Diane and Dennis moved to Spanish Fork in 1974 and have been there ever since. They raised their three kids there and Diane was a ‘second mom’ to countless others that they welcomed in the family circle.

Diane taught school for many years, starting with third grade in Goshen, Utah, third and then first grade at Larsen Elementary in Spanish Fork, and was a reading coach/literary specialist for Nebo District. Her love of reading and teaching was made more memorable through her musical talents. She taught many things by setting them to music and playing the ukulele to accompany them. She loved, mentored, and served the many people she taught with, and they became lifelong friends and a huge part of her life.

She loved her Savior, Jesus Christ, and was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had many callings in the church; one of her favorites was playing piano for Primary. Diane and Dennis also served in the temple for many years, first at the Provo Temple, and then as temple workers at the Payson Temple. She was constantly serving and helping others and was a true example of sharing the Light Of Christ in the lives of those around her.

She loved caffeine-free Diet Coke with a lime, from Sonic, talking with her sister, playing the cello with the Nebo Philharmonic, game nights, lunches out and road trips to St. George with her friends, trips to visit family, and any reason to celebrate. She was a woman of many talents; words cannot encapsulate all she meant and all she gave. Her humor, enthusiasm, generosity, and love were a bright light to many.

She is preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Gary (Nona Parker) Kirkham. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Ray Miller; her children: Alison (Stanton Matthew) Woods, Todd (Jenny Lee) Miller, Kevin (Becky Shiozawa) Miller; 14 grandchildren; and her sister, Kate (Robert) Christmas.