Lillie Smith Miller

Rev. Dr. Lillie Mae Smith-Miller, Ph.D., 81, was born in Columbia, South Carolina on March 11, 1937. She entered into eternal rest peacefully on October 10, 2018 after a brief illness.  She was preceded in death by her parents as the only child of the late Mary Jane Benson Smith Little of Columbia, S.C. and the late Julius Smith of Hopkins, S.C.; and her half-brother David Smith.  Left to cherish her with fond memories are her former husband, James A. Miller, Jr., and their five children, Twins Verona D. Miller and Veronica A. Miller, Twins James A. Miller III and Janice M. Miller-Smith and her “Miracle Child”, Christina J. Miller; five grandchildren: Eric J. Smith, Jonathan B. Smith, Janell M. Smith, Valisa R. Hasben (aka Peaches) and Christopher J. Brown; and one great-granddaughter, Ivanna J. Hasben-Boulware.  Also surviving are her Aunt Mary Smith Sims; stepmother Jessie Boykins; half-siblings:  Terry Boykins, Jewel Loretta Hopkins, Carolyn Lloyd, Willie Robinson, Stephanie Small, and Larry Smith; numerous cousins; and a host of loving family and friends.

She was educated in Richland County Public Schools and was a proud graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Class of 1955 in Columbia, S.C. She graduated from Benedict College in 1959 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.  She also was certified in Middle School Language Arts and Special Education.  She taught in Spartanburg, S.C., and Philadelphia and Chester, PA  Upon her return to Columbia, S.C., she taught at Saint Peter’s Catholic School, Richland County School District One in Columbia and Hopkins, S.C., Bowman, S.C. and the Clayton County Public Schools in College Park, GA. She also lived in Orangeburg, S.C., and in Smyrna and Marietta, GA.

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