Dr. Marion Chambliss Miller
Five score, three years and six months ago, Marion Agnes Chambless was born to Marion Christopher and Rhoda Liner Chambless in Ruston on April 8, 1918.
She passed away peacefully October 20, 2021, in Mandeville. She is the last survivor of her siblings, Beatrice Lindsay, Grayson, Shelby, Bernice Woods, and Hazel Jones. They had some fun, those siblings.
Holidays were filled with cooking, stories, clean jokes and lots of children under foot. The older cousins picked on the younger ones ad nauseum. She was married but twice, first to William Lee Cofer in 1949 and produced two daughters, Rhenda Cofer Saporito and Claire Friedrichs-Taylor, to whom she never expressed which was her favorite no matter how hard they tried over the years, to pry it out of her.
In her final days, she still didn’t fall for the trap.
On August 7, 1965, Agnes married the love of her life, Fred Maher Miller of St. Joseph, and took on the title of stepmother to three children, Fred M. Miller Jr., Paula Miller Wilhite and David Miller. The blended family shared many wonderful times and a few harrowing experiences, involving cars, horses, boats and road trips to Dallas.
Many secrets were kept by Agnes and Fred, and for that we are forever grateful. She was wise and never judgmental. Her sense of humor was legendary. No one laughed harder at her jokes than she did. In her 103-plus years, Agnes ”Nana,” was an expeditor on an assembly line at Douglas Aircraft in California during World War II, she received her Bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech University, where a great lifetime bond was formed. She then earned a Master’s degree in Home Economics from LSU.
Later, she received her PhD from Florida State University in Food Science and Technology – Nutrition. As a single mother of two girls things were not always easy. With the help from her siblings, she managed her home life while thriving in her career. She never complained once about her workload while attempting to raise two children.
She taught high school in Caddo and Richland parishes, worked in food service for Standard Oil, taught college at Louisiana Tech where she was the Dean of the College of Home Economics when she retired.
Her Tech students were loyal to her until the end, staying in touch by phone, email and on Facebook. Her accolades were numerous: Research chair of Louisiana Home Economics Association, Outstanding Contributor – Louisiana Tech University, first woman to become Louisiana Tech Medallion award winner, Louisiana Tech Top 100 Grads – 75 year anniversary and in 2003 was Tech Alumna of the Year, Privileged Director Emeritus, Louisiana Tech Foundation Board.
She was a member of too many groups to mention — a few were D.A.R., Louisiana History Association, Louisiana Genealogy Association, and G R Q Investment Club in Monroe.
She loved the stock market and has a record of performance to match any professional. Dr. Miller represented excellence and perseverance. She broke through barriers that many women of her time could not. She was an exemplary role model for those striving to reach their full potential in life. Her lifelong mantra to her family, students and friends was “Always be honest, kind and fair.”
Close behind this belief was “The best way to get a job … is HAVE a job.” She en couraged all she knew to take any job, prove your worthiness and move up the ladder. She loved politics and was a frequent member of the audience at Tensas Police Jury meetings. She wrote a book titled “Dinner is Served,” at age 98 — a guide for young people on etiquette, table manners and basic recipes.
She mastered the Internet, in her 90s was hooked on her iPad and a frequent poster on Facebook. In the past, she was an avid letter-writer to company presidents … we thank goodness she never discovered Twitter.
She is survived by her children, Rhenda (Jerry )Saporito, Claire Friedrichs (Denny) Taylor, Paula (Ron) Wilhite, David (Annice) Miller, Fred Miller, Jr.; grandchildren, Robert Richmond (Jordana Richmond), Miller (Danielle) Richmond, Scott (Megan) Saporito, Chris (Heidi) Saporito, Michael (Kellie) Wilhite, Todd (Erin) Wilhite, Anneke Miller, Ginny (Austin) Hogue, and Bill Miller; greatgrandchildren, Chase Wilhite, Avery Wilhite, Evelyn Hogue, Mac Hogue, Jack Richmond, Andrew Saporito, Parker Saporito, James Saporito, and Barrett Saporito; nieces and nephews, Carolyn Cordell Foster, Hardeman Cordell IV, Chris Chambless, Becky Chambless Wattleworth and Chris Jones.
Pallbearers are Dr. Les Guice, Dr. Dan Reneau, Sam Wallace, Dud Holland, her sons in law, nephews and grandsons. How appropriate Agnes is coming home and it’s Louisiana Tech’s Homecoming.
Visitation will be held at Kilpartick’s Funeral Home, in Ruston, Sunday October 24, 2021, from 2-3 p.m. Join us for graveside services at Greenwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Dr. Miller can be made to the “Dr. Agnes Chambless Miller Endowed Scholarship” at Louisiana Tech University. Checks should be payable to “Louisiana Tech University Foundation” and sent to P.O. Box 1190 Ruston, LA 71273.
