Summary : Kelly Miller was born in Denver, CO on July 09, 1925 and died peacefully in Santa Fe, NM October 3, 2012. She was a wonderful and loving person, friend to many, artist and mother. She was much loved and will always be remembered by family, friends old and new - that were graced by her free, engaging spirit and her infectious laughter. Tribute: Kelly was born to Bob and Albertine Kelly as Kathleen Kelly, shared childhood with her older sister, Mary Pat. In college, she somehow acquired the lifelong name of "Kelly". Married JT Miller 1948. Kristin, Ryan & Eric born in Ann Arbor (around the time JT graduated from UofM Architecture School) and Jana in Kalmazoo, Michigan, before Miller family moved to California in the mid 50s. Settled in Saratoga where kids grew up. Kelly so loved the beach (Rio del Mar especially) near Santa Cruz where the most time was spent as young kids running free on the beach. Kelly was not a typical mother :) She took kids everywhere with her (San Francisco while in art school), played guitar in coffeehouses during 60s when kids were in high school. Taught art at Montalvo. She was a true free spirit, loved by so many, embraced by her abundant artist friends (later called 'the Salon' wherein laughter and wine and stories of life and children were abundant). Loved by her kids friends as well (house in Saratoga was a hangout for everyone -- so many memories of so much fun with friends coming and going from those years. Kelly was an exhibitor in the first Renaissance Faires in San Rafael in the mid-60s where artisans were allowed to campout weekends over the summer-long event. She and her kids had unforgettable ('trippy') weekends on site where lifelong friends were made. Zak made an incredible booth with sleeping loft on top that retired to our backyard in Saratoga as guest quarters for many years. She had the most intense and infectious appreciation of all things fun or beautiful -- sunsets, scenery, art, people, escapades. So much laughter came out of her 'hip home' with her kitchen wall covered with photos and quips and postcards that so many still remember and white fairly lights and candles in nearly every corner of the house. Kelly went to live in Menton, France when kids graduated high school, schlepping her torches with her and producing her welded art there. She bought a vespa to putt on down to town on for bread and cheese, peaches and wine daily. Visited by kids and friends alike on an array of trips and adventures that bring back so many memories. Loved travel and, like a pied-piper of enjoying life, made new friends everywhere she went. A couple years later she went back to live in England where she ventured out on her many serendipitous tours of Ireland, Scotland, England and Europe in her Morris Minor to picnic their way through hills and dales and any adventure that she felt fascinating or beautiful. Sold home in Saratoga and retired to Santa Fe in 1989. In her 70s, she was given an unfulfilled wish by Kristin, of living for a year in Tuscany. She rented a tiny cottage above Florence and remained a true gypsy traveling happily alone or with friends or her kids as much as and whenever possible. She had so many tales of travel and another set of new found friends for life when she returned. Sadly, a serious car accident later affected Kelly's frontal lobe of her head, which in her 80s resulted in onset of a debilitating dementia. She was able to remain at home with her fairy lights and twinkling crystals and walls of photos under the vigilant care of Ryan and home hospice. Eric later moved down when she became bedridden in 2011. She died in peace at home. We are so sincerely grateful to have known her love as our mother, as are so many others in simply knowing her, her love and her love of life. We hope you can still feel that from her in your heart and hear her laughter in the wind when you remember her. She will be so much missed by anyone whose life she touched. Next time you see a string of lit white Christmas (fairy) lights, feel free to appreciate their happy magic in remembrance of Kelly. (Kristin)