Phyllis V. Miller, 94, mother of Harold, Jr. and Larry, died at Lakeview Terrace of Boulder City, Nevada, on Sunday, July 26, 2020. Funeral services will be held on August 8, 2020, at 10 am at the Akron Cemetery Gazebo with Pastor Al Strauss officiating. Interment will follow in the Akron Cemetery with Bowin Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations in her name may be made to Akron High School Scholarship Fund, or to the Akron United Methodist Church.

Phyllis Viola Grooms Miller was born on Lucky Friday, November 13, 1925, in Platner, Colorado, to William Dorwan and Elsie Violet (Stewart) Grooms. When Phyllis was less than one-year-old, her family moved into Akron, Colorado. She lived in or near Akron for most of her life, except for the years she was attending the University of Colorado at Boulder or working in California shipyards as a welder during World War II. She started her education in a rural school, Pleasant Valley (later called the Davis School) west of Akron. Her family moved into Akron in 1934, and she attended the Akron Elementary, Junior High and Senior High schools, graduating as valedictorian of the Class of 1943. She was active in church, music, sports, school plays, various organizations, and other community activities. "We only pass this way once, and I want to enjoy as many different experiences as possible," she often repeated.

After graduating from high school, her long-time friend, Laura Andrews, and she went to California and became welders in a shipyard because they could earn more money than as secretaries. When Phyllis returned to Akron, she worked locally, then entered the University of Colorado in November. While at CU, she played in the concert and marching bands, became deeply involved in student government, participated in all kinds of sports, and enjoyed college life to the fullest.

The death of Phyllis' mother in June of 1945, and the return of a very special person from England after VE Day caused Phyllis to reassess her goals in life. After Harold D. Miller, Sr. was discharged from the Eighth Air Force, Harold and Phyllis were married on Sunday, October 28, 1945, at the Akron United Methodist Church, and after a short honeymoon, moved to a farm northeast of Akron. Both their sons Harold Jr. and Larry were born while they lived on that farm.

In 1953, Phyllis added another career to her life when she became a teacher in the Ashland Rural School south of Platner for two years. In 1955, Harold and Phyllis purchased a business in Akron and called it Miller Oil Company, which they owned and operated for 38 years. Both of their sons worked in the business when they were growing up, and Larry later returned to Akron to manage the business until it closed in 1994.

Teaching was more than just an occupation for Phyllis — it was a way of life. From 1955-1957, Phyllis continued her teaching career in the Akron Junior High School.  After two years, in the fall of 1959 Phyllis decided to accept a position to teach grades 5-8 during the last year the Platner school was in session. She returned to the Akron school system to teach kindergarten in the fall of 1966 and in the following year, she taught language arts in the Junior High School.

By that time, she had decided she wanted to make teaching a full-time career. She returned to the Boulder campus in the fall of 1968 and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education in June of 1969. Phyllis returned to teach in the Akron school system, teaching for four years in the junior high before she moved to the high school level.

Phyllis and her husband moved back to their farm northeast of Akron in 1981 after remodeling a large two-story house, Phyllis' dream house. This did not mean retirement; it merely meant a different residence — a place for big family dinners, for birthday get-togethers; for card games and many other joyful moments spent with family members.

After 20 years of teaching, she retired in 1982 and became involved in many various community clubs and activities, including the Methodist Church, the Akron School Board, the Rebekah Lodge, Akron Fortnightly Club, the Washington County Health Council. Phyllis also bowled on the Miller Oil Co. bowling team for 35 years.

In celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, Phyllis and Harold were honored by their family on October 29, 1995, with a program at the church, an open house reception and a family dinner. For many years Phyllis and Harold looked forward to attending the reunions of the Eighth Air Force and the 351 ^st Bomb Squadron. These reunions took them to many of the states and to England in 1987 and again in the year 2000. Their five-week tour of the Orient in 1969 was one of the high lights of their travels.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Sr.; both her parents; a three-year old brother, George Grooms; and her older brother, Leonard Grooms and sisters-in-law Jean Grooms and Eileen Grooms. She is survived by her two sons, Harold Jr. and wife Cheryl of Akron; Larry and wife Bonnie of Boulder City, Nevada; Grandsons Dean of Phoenix, AZ; Tim and wife Tana of Danville, PA; Tom and wife Michelle of Thornton, CO; Bud of Irvine, CA; and Mark and wife Kelli of Brush, CO; nine great-grandchildren; her sister, Doris Duncan and her husband, Jack, of Akron; as well as many other relatives and friends.