Janet Lee Carter Miller
Janet Lee Carter Miller, 92, of Bridgewater died on February 11, 2025 in Harmony House at Bridgewater Retirement Community (BRC). She was born May 25, 1932, in Roanoke to the late Robert Lee Carter and Gertrude Elizabeth Deyerle Carter.
Janet was raised in Roanoke and graduated in 1950 as salutatorian from Andrew Lewis High School in Salem. She attended Bridgewater College and in 1954 received her BA degree as a Sociology major with a Psychology minor. While a student at BC Janet was a member of Alpha Si Omega, Curtain Club, Ripples staff, BC Bee staff, Who's Who, and she wrote and directed the 1953 May Day pageant.
On June 6, 1954, Janet married John Leigh Miller of Bridgewater. They were married for 68 years until John Leigh's death on February 23, 2023. After her BC graduation, Janet pursued her desire to become an educator. In 1954 she began her teaching career at Price's Fork Elementary School in Blacksburg. She taught there for two years while John Leigh completed his degree at VPI. In 1961 she continued her teaching career at Bridgewater Elementary School before moving to John Wayland Intermediate School to teach 7th grade language arts. Janet retired in 1987.
Janet & John Leigh built their home bordering her in-laws' Nover Farm on Bridgewater's West Bank Street in 1961. Their home was landscaped with flowering shrubs and trees, colorful annual and perennial flowers as well as a garden of vegetables for Janet's summer canning. When Janet and John Leigh moved to their new home on the BRC campus in 2004 Janet continued gardening and created beautiful flower planters. Janet always had a passion and an eye for art. Throughout her life she painted landscapes and still life on canvas, designed school and church bulletin boards, practiced papercut art, and drew creative free-hand doodles and greeting cards.
In addition to her parents and husband, Janet was predeceased by her in-laws George W Miller and Edna L (Peg) Miller Miller of Bridgewater. She is survived by her daughter Dawn Elizabeth Miller (fiancé Wayne Grimsley) of Culpeper, daughter Faye Catherine Miller of Bridgewater, and sister-in-law Janice Kathryn Miller of Port Republic.
Janet was a lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Montezuma, and Bridgewater. As such, she chose the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren Memory Garden for her cremains via private interment.
A memorial service will be held on at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 2PM with Reverend David Miller officiating. A visitation will immediately follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Camp Brethren Woods, 4896 Armentrout Path, Keezletown, VA 22832-2215. Donated funds will be designated for Brethren Woods' Helping Hands Scholarship Fund.
Gratitude and appreciation are extended to BRC Assisted Living, BRC Harmony House, and Sentara Hospice. Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting johnsonfs.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Johnson Funeral and Cremation Service in Bridgewater.
