Judith A. Miles

BARRE - Judith Ann Miles, 80, a long-time resident passed away on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 (All Saints’ Day!) at Barre Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in her native city of Barre.  Judy, as she was known by all, was a special, much-loved person.

Born on October 21, 1942, in Barre, she was the daughter of John R. and Beatrice (Letter) Miles. Judy had strong Barre roots and family traditions. The Miles family (her father John had 3 sisters) and Letter family (her mother Bea was one of 15 children) hailed from Graniteville and Barre (West Hill), respectively, and kept in close touch with their siblings who lived all over the U.S. Judy inherited her parents’ “family gene,” and probably knew the birthdates of her many first cousins, if not those of their children.  And Judy never met a stranger.

Growing up in Barre, Judy had close and long-lasting friendships. Attending St. Monica elementary school and Marian High School (graduating in its first class), those friendships grew. She excelled in her studies and was popular with both teachers and classmates. Instead of attending St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana after high school graduation in 1960, she decided to join the Order of the Sisters of Mercy and entered the convent.

Judy’s first-year novitiate was a challenge to her family, as visits were limited to one per month at the convent in Burlington, but Judy was dedicated and happy, and her deep faith made her life there very meaningful. She was with the Sisters of Mercy from 1960-1966, graduating from Trinity College with a BA degree (classics) in 1965, and beginning her career as a Latin teacher. The year following college graduation, Judy’s commitment made a turn. She left the convent and enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, receiving an MA in classics in 1967.

She then embarked on her second career, as a high-school Latin teacher at Deerfield High School near Chicago. Judy was a devoted teacher and developed lasting friendships with many of her students. She actually spoke Latin, an ability that did not ever leave her, even after reaching her 80 ^th birthday in 2022. While teaching at Deerfield, she enrolled in night school at DePaul University Law School in Chicago, graduating and becoming a lawyer in the mid-1970s.

Judy’s excellent academic record and desire to make a difference in people’s lives led to a position with the Cook County Public Defender.  She became an accomplished courtroom advocate and spent years helping Chicago families, especially children, in need of legal representation. Judy lived in Evanston, Illinois in her Chicago years, developing close personal and professional friendships with people in all walks of life. She participated in programs designed to improve and enrich local communities and to help those in need.

In addition to her work, studies, and charitable endeavors, Judy loved to travel – to Italy, of course, where Latin was born – but also throughout the U.S. And she never lost touch with her network – her Barre family, her many aunts, uncles and cousins, her Vermont school chums, and her convent sisters. She treasured her connection with the Mercy Community, nurturing her many rich relationships begun in her convent years and sharing her on-going education opportunities and experiences as a lawyer and teacher.

Following her father’s death, Judy returned to Barre in the mid-1980s and spent a number of years doing legal work in Vermont and Massachusetts. She then returned to teaching, this time at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, where she taught Latin for several years before retiring. She continued traveling in those years, including trips to the Southwest U.S. with her aunt Helen Gearin, to Pennsylvania and Florida to visit cousins, and with her mom or with friends to Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where her family had vacationed in her youth and which she dearly loved.

In the years that followed Judy devoted herself primarily to her mother, who had moved to The Gardens in Williamstown. Judy and Bea spent a number of happy years there until Bea’s death in 2013. In later years she enjoyed the companionship of Bea’s sister, Lorraine Clark, who also lived at The Gardens until her death in late 2017.

In addition to companionship for her mother and volunteer work, Judy was an active supporter of Barre and Montpelier renovation and cultural activities and remained so for the rest of her days. In more recent years, health issues slowed her down, but she remained a strong, resilient, and optimistic person, always interested in others and their lives. Those who cared for Judy at Barre Gardens, the nursing home where she lived during her last two years and where she passed away peacefully, often expressed their admiration for Judy’s keen intellect and generous spirit as well as their love for her.

Survivors include her brother John Miles and his wife, Thea of Rockville, MD and John’s children Julie Miles (Randy Allworth) of Port Townsend, WA; Jennifer McDonald (Jay) of Charlotte, NC; and David Miles (Lisa) of Boulder, CO, and their children, and numerous other relatives, including her aunt Clare Letter of Media, PA as well as many first cousins and their families.

A Mass of Christian Burial to honor and celebrate her life will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. in the St. Monica Catholic Church, 79 Summer Street, Barre. Following the service, inurnment will take place in St. Monica Cemetery, Beckley Hill, Barre.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Mercy in support of their ministerial works, to Sisters of Mercy, Attn: Sister Laura Della Santa, 356 Mountain View Road, Suite 101, Colchester, VT 05446, or to the Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St, Barre, VT 05641, or to the charity of your choice.