Mary Suzanne Miller

Mary Suzanne Miller (née Schelble), 84, of Clarksville, Maryland died peacefully on May 12, 2026 after a brief illness. She is survived by her three children Lisa Hernandez (Gilbert), Timothy Miller (Paula), and Heather Rubens (Brian), and her five grandchildren, Michael, Eric, and Joseph Hernandez and Evelyn and Henry Rubens, as well as her two great grandchildren, Eliza and Weston Hernandez. 

Mary was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on December 9, 1941, to Robert M. Schelble and Pearl Elizabeth Newman. Mary was the sixth of seven children, and always enjoyed being the fun, youngest sister of the Schelble bunch. She is survived by her older brothers Robert Schelble (Rita, deceased) and William Schelble (Edna) as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by Patricia Keaveny (Francis, deceased); Fr. Michael Schelble; Margaret Schelble; and Dr. Daniel Schelble (Susan).

Mary was deeply formed by her lifelong Catholic education - attending Holy Trinity Elementary School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin before heading off to St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing in Madison, Wisconsin to become a registered nurse.

In Madison, Mary met the love of her life, Richard C. Miller, one fateful evening at a college bar named Chesty's. Mary was in nursing school and Dick was in the Air Force, stationed at Truax Air Force Base. The family legend goes that after just a few hours of drinks and conversation, Dick knew he would build a life with Mary. When Mary and her roommate gave Dick and his friend a ride back to the military base that first night, Dick sat in the backseat and poked Mary in the back of the head with an umbrella while she drove, thinking he was being both funny and charming. Mary was both amused and annoyed by Dick (a condition that would last for the rest of their lives!) and confiscated the offending umbrella. Dick ended the evening by announcing to everyone in the car that they would wed. Mary laughed with her friends, but she drove away with his umbrella - ensuring that she would see him again. 

They were married in August 1963 and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary shortly before Dick's death in 2023. Mary insisted that their successful marriage was because Dick travelled frequently for work during the first 40 years. While said for laughs-there was a profound truth behind this statement. Mary and Dick were deeply devoted to one another, and deeply committed to making space for each other's respective work, interests, and hobbies. They each actively encouraged the other to flourish and supported each other's hopes, ambitions, and practical jokes. Indeed, they made time for laughter and everyday kindnesses throughout their marriage. They spent the last twenty years of their marriage deeply intertwined in one another's daily life, making the last 881 days Mary spent without her beloved Dickie lonelier than she liked.

Mary and Dick's three children and the grandchildren and great grandchildren that came after were among their profoundest joys. Twice they moved across the country to be closer to their growing grandchildren - first to Arizona where they delighted in Michael, Eric and Joseph and then to Maryland, where they greeted Evelyn and Henry when they disembarked the school bus nearly every day of their elementary school careers. Mary was a joyful and mischievous grandmother who shared her love of doodles, jokes and laughter with her grandchildren. She loved her family deeply and was incredibly proud of their many accomplishments in school, work, music, and sports. She loved talking with them about their lives-offering a listening ear, loving encouragement, and unwavering support. She made time to be silly, and encouraged adults and children alike to not take themselves too seriously. Almost to her very last day she continued to regularly beat everyone at family board and card games. 

Mary's professional career began with her working as a nurse in hospital settings, specializing in labor & delivery as well as psychiatric care. She took some time off to raise her family-as they moved around the country from Wisconsin to California, Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, and then Connecticut (with some meaningful time in England)-making friends wherever she went. In Connecticut, Mary reentered the workforce, embarking on a meaningful second career in special education. For nearly twenty years Mary was a special education paraprofessional at Skinner Road Elementary School, working one-on-one with children who had complex medical needs. She was a passionate educator and advocate for her kids, and for her colleagues. And in keeping with Catholic social teaching, Mary was also incredibly proud to have led efforts to successfully unionize the paraprofessionals in her public school district, and then negotiated the first contract for her and her newly unionized colleagues. 

Mary spent her life making communities wherever she went - whether big ones, like the paraprofessionals union or the Palm Gardens resident association, or small ones like the communities she created at the restaurants she and Dick frequented. Despite moving often throughout their marriage, Mary and Dick always found their regular breakfast haunts - Bickfords in Vernon, Wildberries in Mesa, and the EC Diner in Ellicott City, to name a few. Inevitably Mary was the mayor of these places - greeted loudly when she arrived, listening to everyone's troubles, dispensing wisdom and teasing. There are waiters and waitresses across the country who fondly remember Mary's name for the joy that she brought to one shift after another. She had an incredible ability to brighten the places she frequented and she shared that joy with the people around her. 

Mary will always be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She is deeply missed.

A Memorial Mass for Mary Suzanne Miller will be held on Friday August 7, 2026 at 12:00pm at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, Room 1, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, Maryland 21044.

Online Streaming Available for Memorial Mass at 12pm (Link to Room 1): https://sjcolumbia.org/streaming/ 

A Reception & Luncheon buffet meal & visitation with family will be held on Friday August 7, 2026 from 1:00pm-4:30pm at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, Room 4, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, Maryland 21044.

Mary was a passionate booster of her daughter Heather and the interreligious nonprofit that she runs, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). She profoundly appreciated the loving and compassionate care that her beloved Dick received at the end of his life from the staff of Gilchrist.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to either of these organizations: Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), 956 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204 or make an online donation at icjs.org/donate or to Gilchrist, 11311 McCormick Rd., Ste. 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or make an online donation at gilchristcares.org/donate.