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Jeanne Vical Miller Born: March 12, 1908, Paris, France Died: February 27 1999, Florence, Oregon Jeanne Vical Miller, 47 year resident of Albuquerque, passed away in Florence, Oregon, February 26, 1999, at the age of 90. A French citizen until she married, she first came to the United States in 1914, where she and her mother lived while her father served as officer in the French Army during World War I. After the war she trained with her father, a noted fencing master, in both France and the United States. She won numerous fencing titles, including Women's Foil Championship in France, the West Coast Women's Fencing Championship in the United States; and she was a member of the French foil team in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. She and her father served as fencing instructors to the major Hollywood studios in the 30's, teaching such people as Douglas Fairbanks, Gary Cooper and Erroll Flynn. In 1933, she met her husband, Hugh M. Miller, a native of Eugene, Oregon, who was finishing his Ph.D. at Harvard. They married in 1934 in Santa Monica, California, and returned to the East Coast, where Jeanne taught languages at private prep schools. In 1947, Hugh was appointed Chair and Professor of Music at the University of New Mexico, and the family, including three daughters moved to Albuquerque. Jeanne taught languages and fencing at the Albuquerque Boys Academy, several public schools and as a private tutor. She was fluent in seven languages, and most recently was studying Chinese. Jeanne and Hugh celebrated their 50th anniversary at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. After Hugh's death in 1986, and daughter, Peggy's death in 1989, Jeanne stayed in Albuquerque through 1994. She lived in Southern California for two years and then moved to Florence, Oregon in 1996. Jeanne continued fencing until she was 70 and then took up swimming. She won numerous U.S. Masters Swim meets in her age group, and was All-American Swimmer and First Place winner in several events of the US Master's National Championship in 1990 and in 1994, where she was also the oldest female competitor at age 86. Jeanne actively traveled all her life, particularly to Europe and also to New Zealand, Russia, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Canada, as well as all over the United States. She served as linguistic consultant on two art tours for American docents, in France in 1995, and Italy in 1966. Jeanne Miller is survived by two living daughters, Marilyn Miller of Florence, Oregon and Louise Lewis of Granada Hills, California; and by grandson, Kevin Lewis, also of Granada Hills. Jeanne Miller was a longtime member of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Albuquerque, and most recently was a member of St. Mary Our Lady of the Dunes, in Florence, where memorial services were held Wednesday, March 3. Burns Riverside Chapel/Florence Funeral Home, was in charge of arrangements (541-997-3416).
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