A Life Story
Savannah’s art community will be less colorful with the loss of Kathryn G. Miller (Kathy), an accomplished artist, devoted Mother and true friend who died peacefully July 3rd 2026 in her beloved Savannah home. Born in Philadelphia, PA on June 21, 1935, Kathy had turned 91 just weeks before her death. Kathy spent her childhood in Scotland Neck, NC and then completed her BS in Psychology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kathy then pursued her teaching certificate and for many years taught English and Psychology at Savannah’s Windsor Forest High School. Kathy’s passion for painting began during her years living on Midway Island in the north Pacific and continued while she lived in Hawaii before moving to Savannah. Kathy loved taking care of her home and lovely tranquil garden. Her light filled studio, designed by her Architect son Tim Garriss, provided a creative sanctuary for her to create over 200 etching plates (all hand painted) and a diverse selection of watercolors, oils and acrylics. Kathy was known for her low country landscapes and varied sea life themes. A pioneer in the beginning of Savannah’s newly designed City Market, Kathy was one of the founding members of the Signature Gallery where her work was displayed for over 30 years. Kathy traveled extensively- especially in Southeast Asia when her daughter Lisa Garriss lived in Singapore. Lisa and Kathy shared a love for Bali and visited there often. Kathy left a treasure of travel journals with descriptions of their day to day activities as well as wonderful small drawings of their favorite sites. A wonderful cook, Kathy, loved entertaining in her beautiful courtyard. She was known for her mischievous smile, love of desserts and keen wit and sly sense of humor. She was a vibrant conversationalist and a wonderful listener. She often said “those that talk the most have the least to say”. Kathy was also an active feral cat rescuer and bird enthusiast. Kathy was preceded in death by her two children, Tim Garriss and Lisa Gail Garriss and her husband of 45 years, Jack Miller. Kathy is survived by her brother, Hank Woodard (Mae) of Hanover, PA and their daughter Christy Moore (Greg) of Baltimore, MD as well as Christy and Greg’s children Skylar Moore of Parkville, MD and Camryn Moore of Omaha, NE. Kathy is also survived by her two stepsons John Miller of Savannah, GA. and Jack Miller of Atlanta, GA. Please join us for a Celebration of Life for Kathy and her daughter Lisa from 4pm to 7pm on Sunday October 18, 2026 at Kathy’s home at 2 South Stillwood Ct. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Savannah Tree Foundation or Savannah Cat Rescue. Kathy’s artwork can be viewed at www.kmillerstudios.com