Patricia Ann Arnold, 70, died July 26, 2015, in Anchorage of natural causes. Services are at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, at Faith Lutheran Church.

Patricia was born Sept. 9, 1944, in Provo, Utah, to William Arnold and Dorothy Arnold (Swanson). The middle child, she was raised in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and grew up attending Grace Lutheran Church. She has always had a strong and abiding faith which led her to attend Valparaiso Lutheran University in search of a social work degree. Her education eventually took her to Colorado University of Denver, where she finished her masters in sociology. 

She began her career in Colorado where she met her husband Richard Miller. They were both working in the community service field helping others as they could. Her two sons Richard Jr. and Matthew were born in Colorado in 1975 and 1978 respectively. They decided to make a break from some of the demands in Colorado and moved the family to Alaska in the 1980s. She got a job in Kenai as a social worker and Richard took up carpet cleaning. Issues arrived and she and Richard chose to divorce in 1984. After she moved around the Kenai Peninsula for a bit she finally settled in Homer in 1985.

She lived in Homer from 1985 until her death. She was a highly visible member of the community who usually expressed their admiration of her and her desire to bike where ever she went, along with their occasional concern, which the family said was appreciated. In her heart she thought herself a Lutheran and she wished to share her final service with the Faith Lutheran community. 

“Patricia made the decision that she was ready to go and passed quickly at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. We greatly appreciated all the love and support she had from the Homer community. She will be missed,” her family said.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Dorothy Arnold.

Patricia is survived by her sons, Richard Shane Miller and Matthew John Miller; her grandsons, Rex and Max Miller; and her sisters, Sandra Jeanne Miller and Judy Monty.

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