Joy Carroll Miller

Joy Carroll Miller, 84, of Madison, WI died on April 2, 2025 due to complications stemming from a recent illness.

Born in Elmira, NY, she earned her bachelor's degree in History and Spanish at the College of Wooster in 1962. She loved wearing the Scotch Tartans and playing clarinet in the Wooster marching band. Her junior year abroad was in Bilboa, Spain, where she lived with a wonderful family. Influenced heavily by a stint with the American Friends Service in Mexico, she then earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Columbia University.

Later in her career, to keep current in nursing, Joy took multiple classes at UW-Madison (earning enough credits for a master’s in nursing, except she refused to take statistics - she had a stubborn streak).

After marrying Bill Miller (a friend and clarinetist in the high school marching band and fellow “American Baptist youth” at her church) in 1964, Joy moved to Madison while her new husband began work on his doctorate. She worked for Madison’s Visiting Nurse Service (Joy could do the sign language for her title like no one else), spent a couple of years in France (while her husband continued to work on his doctorate) and bravely learned enough French to shop in outdoor markets.

When divorced, at a time when divorce wasn’t common and having a gay husband was even less common, she worked as a food server in schools - she was everyone’s favorite “lunch lady.” She then had the resolve to transition back to nursing as a school nurse, working for the Madison Metropolitan School District for many years.

Joy had a great sense of humor and her laugh was contagious. She gained recognition for delivering presentations to school nurses on the developmental progression of humor. She was frequently the center of joyous conversations with people whose eyes were watery from laughter.

Joy had a joie de vivre. She sang in the Madison Community Chorus, then more recently in the Oakwood Chorus. In addition to playing the clarinet, she played recorder, handbells, and even tried playing the Indonesian gamelan. Joy was an anonymous and generous donor to many causes in the hope of helping others. She loved to travel and have new experiences. There wasn’t a type of meat that Joy wasn’t willing to try, or a local market she wouldn’t venture into.

Joy was immensely proud of her children and delighted in sharing adventures with her granddaughters, from strolling through the lavender fields of Provence, ziplining over the jungles of the Dominican Republic, or swimming in the cenotes of the Yucatan.

Joy is survived by her sister Virginia Carroll Scott, her children Cindy Miller Lovell (Dick) and Bruce Miller (Suzanne), and her granddaughters Sara Joy Lovell, and Maggie and Ellie Miller.

Joy’s life will be celebrated on May 24, 2025 at 2 p.m. in the Oakwood Chapel (University Woods), followed by an informal reception.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Joy’s name to one of her favorite causes: the Madison Public Schools Foundation, YWCA Madison, First Baptist Church, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, Habitat for Humanity, or the Salvation Army.