Marilyn Faye Miller, age 83, passed away on January 1, 2026, in Helena, Montana. She was born on February 22, 1942, in Helena and grew up in both Butte and Helena, places she always considered home.<\/p>\n
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Marilyn faced her diagnosis of brain glioblastoma with extraordinary bravery and grace. Her strength and composure never wavered. After her diagnosis, her only wish was to spend one last Christmas surrounded by her family, a wish that was lovingly fulfilled and will forever be cherished.<\/p>\n
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After graduating high school in the top of her class, Marilyn was offered multiple scholarship opportunities to attend college. She chose instead to marry her high school sweetheart, David \u201cDave\u201d Miller, and dedicate her life to raising a family. Family was the most important part of Marilyn\u2019s life, and her love and devotion to those she cherished defined who she was.<\/p>\n
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In addition to her devotion to family, Marilyn leaves a lasting legacy as a respected public servant for the State of Montana. Over the course of a long and distinguished career, she held many roles before concluding her career with eight terms as Chief Clerk of the House and eight terms as Secretary of the Senate. Marilyn\u2019s strong, gentle, kind, and intelligent presence guided countless legislators through the years with fairness, wisdom, and integrity. In recognition of her service and impact, the State of Montana honored her in November 2024 by designating\u00a0 the Senate leadership office as the Marilyn Miller Senate Suite. Marilyn\u2019s dedication plaque states, \u201cShe was a paragon of service, civility and professionalism.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Marilyn was preceded in death by her beloved husband, David Miller; her father, Lawrence M. Brewer; her mother, Gladys Verlanic Brewer; her brother, Reginald Brewer; and her sister, Linda Collier.<\/p>\n
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She is survived by her daughter, Laurie Bakri (Mohamed); her sons, Nate Miller and David Miller (Robin); and her grandchildren, Jessica Miller (Stacey), Derek Miller (Britta), Reece Miller, Shelby Wrzesinski (Cavan), Raef Miller; and Nick Miller. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Peyton, Harper, and Kinley Mosby; Bridger Marks and Colson Stolle; and Crew Wrzesinski.<\/p>\n
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Marilyn is further survived by her sister, Susan Brewer Anderson (Robert); her sister-in-law, Kathleen Brewer; her brother, George Brewer; and many treasured nieces and nephews across the country.<\/p>\n
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Marilyn will be remembered with a Celebration of Life on January 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Life Covenant Church. A luncheon will be provided following the service, with an open-microphone for anyone who wishes to share memories of Marilyn. The services will be livestreamed through the Life Covenant Church website: https:\/\/lifecchelena.org\/<\/p>\n
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