Sharon Jo Miller

Sharon Jo Miller passed away peacefully on October 4, 2024. Up until the end, Sharon maintained her strength, positivity, humor, and love of family and friends. 

 Sharon was born May 31, 1949 in Topeka, Kansas. She attended Topeka West High School, where she met the love of her life, Jim Miller, in their bookkeeping class while talking about their mutual love of cars. The two would remain married for over 56 years. They attended Washburn University together. In 1970, they had their first child, Jeff, followed by Lori in 1974. The family would spend many weekends camping, waterskiing and fishing with family and friends at all of the nearby lakes. When the children were out of school, summers were spent road tripping across the United States in vans, mini homes, and fifth wheels. Sharon was always the family navigator on the road trips, which meant missing many turns, but always managing to find extra time for stops at craft stores and ice cream shops along the way. 

 Sharon spent her entire career working 35+ years for the Topeka City Water Department. She managed to work full time and still attend all of her children’s sporting events, dance recitals, and scouting events.

 Sharon had a love for the holidays. She would get her husband to help her decorate the entire house for every occasion. She would hand sew her children’s Halloween costumes each year. Many decorations included crafts that she would make with her mother and aunt throughout the year. You would know Christmas was near when Sharon, her mom and aunt would spend an entire Saturday in the kitchen making Christmas candy and her husband, children, and their friends would come taste test.

 After early retirement, Sharon got the international travel bug from her daughter after they took their first mother daughter trip to France, England and Monte Carlo. Sharon confessed to her daughter that trip that she had studied French in high school and college and always dreamt of going to France and that her mother would be so proud that her daughter took her. Once Jim retired, the two would visit Lori in England and New Zealand. Sharon also spent retirement enjoying days of sailing on her son's sailboat. She often took to the helm and she loved the wind in her hair with a good Jimmy Buffett or Jack Johnson song playing. Sharon’s other retirement activities included wearing her lucky shirt to watch the Kansas City Chiefs games, knitting blankets, volunteering for various events at her church, enjoying Wednesday morning coffee ladies group, visiting family and friends, and dreaming up her next vacation.

 The year 2016 was not kind to Sharon and her family as they lost her son in a boating accident and weeks later she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Her positivity, faith, and fighting spirit got her through that year and the dozens of surgeries to follow. The next eight years were spent fulfilling many of her dreams as her husband and daughter knew she had beat the odds but time was precious. Sharon, Jim, and Lori would travel the world making amazing memories. Just last Christmas the trio went to Portugal because Sharon saw someone win a trip on Wheel of Fortune and thought it looked neat. It turned out beyond neat!

 In her final weeks in hospital, Sharon was still a fighter. She dreamt of getting out and enjoying a margarita in Mexico. She would even ask her daughter, whom stayed with her every night, to brush her hair each morning so she would look good before Jim arrived for his day shift. Sharon was surrounded by love 24/7 and an amazing team of doctors and nurses whom she would make smile when she still could. 

 Sharon is survived by her loving husband Jim, daughter Lori, daughter-in-law Martha, grand dog Otis, three brother and sisters-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by all.

 Sharon was preceded in death by her son Jeff, parents William and Josephine Phillips and brother Robert Phillips.

 On October 11, 2024 at 11am, a service for family and friends will be held at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church. 4525 NW Button Road, Topeka, Kansas. For those attending the family ask that if you have one, you wear your lucky Kansas City Chiefs shirt.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sharon’s name to Topeka Helping Hands Humane Society or Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church.