Shifra Broida Miller

Shifra Ruth Broida Miller, age 89, passed away in Bellingham at Silverado Senior Care, Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at 1:21 AM, exactly six years to the day after her husband of 62 years, Marvin Fred Miller passed away. Shifra is survived by two sisters, Mildred and Ellen; her four children, Jeffrey, (Lisa), Dennis, (Susan), Leslie, (Curtis), and Naomi, (Gary); three granddaughters, Alissa, (Ted), Leah, (Kris) and Hanna, and three great grandchildren, Zach, Lily, Briella and a fourth arriving soon.

Shifra led a very full life, growing up in Chicago, marrying Marvin, getting her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees and becoming a career woman while raising her four children. She spoke French and Spanish and traveled widely with Marvin, even living in Paris, France for a year in the mid-1950s. Later she and Marvin were among the first Americans to visit China in the early 1970s, eventually leading tour groups there. In the 1980s for five years they lived in Christchurch, New Zealand. They traveled the world and collected art wherever they went.

Shifra was a woman who felt strongly about various causes and acted on those feelings. She was a civil rights leader in New Orleans and participated in early public school integration efforts. She founded and directed the LSU Therapeutic Nursery School for autistic children. She was an avid letter-to-the-editor writer and active in the community in many ways. She often supported causes that later became mainstream, when few initially did. She spoke her mind to anyone she felt needed to hear it.

Shifra was a life-long learner, a discoverer, an advocate, a pioneer. She was always eager to expand her knowledge and share information that she knew would be beneficial for others, whether it be about a nutritional supplement, Irlen Lenses for Scotopic Sensitivity, the evils of refined sugar, an exciting new political candidate, awareness of an oppressed minority, the benefits of vitamin therapy, another beautiful part of the planet she and Marv had visited, a great new film, and so much more.

She was an avid reader and kept a journal of her own reviews, written in shorthand, so she could tell you what she thought about any book she had read over many years. She was also an author, having written an autobiography that is currently available at the Bellingham, WA public library.

Music was a big part of her life and the lives of her children. She played piano and one of her favorite things was to have two of her children sitting next to her on the piano bench singing along while she played songs from various collections, like English and American folk songs. She was an amateur songwriter; the sheet music of her song "The Bird is on the Wing" lived for years in the archives of her piano bench and still does in the minds of her children. She loved opera. She would borrow the next opera in the local season series from the public library and the house would be filled with beautiful music for weeks before the concert. After big arias Shifra's voice could be heard above the applause expressing some of the most enthusiastic "bravos."

Shifra was a very special woman. We feel very lucky to have known and loved her. If you feel moved to make a donation in her name, please choose a charity or cause that you know she would support.