Patricia Ann Taillon-Miller's Obituary
Patricia Ann Taillon-Miller passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at her residence in St. Louis MO at the age of 70 years.
Patty was born on September 25, 1954 in Albany, New York to the late Richard and Elta Taillon. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Miller.
Patty is survived by her daughter, Sara Miller; siblings Michael (Karen) Taillon, Pamela (Jim) Frederickson, and Bruce (Marci Swede) Taillon; and her beloved, very large, dog Sammy.
Patty had a life-long interest in science, nature, and technology. Patty spent her career studying human genetics, primarily at Washington University. She authored more than 50 scientific publications and contributed to both the Human Genome and the International HapMap Project. After her retirement, she continued to learn about the natural world and inspire this interest in others. She volunteered at the Missouri Botanical Garden for nearly 20 years. She taught classes about plants to elementary school children through the Missouri Botanical Garden School Programs, gave tours of the garden as a docent, and became certified as a master gardener. She was a common fixture at Missouri Botanical Garden events, often distinguished by her propensity for wearing hiking boots. Patty enjoyed traveling and visited many botanical gardens around the world.
Patty was a 45-year resident of the Shaw Neighborhood in St. Louis. She loved the neighborhood and was a quiet but passionate advocate for community improvement. Most notably, Patty was the current president and a long-time board member of the Compton Hill Water Tower & Park Preservation Society. She worked tirelessly to gather community support to repair the Water Tower and coordinated efforts by other volunteers to improve the gardens and grounds of the park. Patty was also a philanthropist to many other St. Louis area organizations.
A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Hughes Funeral & Aquamation Center, 3211 Sublette Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63139.
Patty loved flowers which are welcome. If desired, contributions can be made in her honor to the Water Tower & Park Preservation Society https://www.watertowerfoundation.org.
Aquamation services provided by Hughes Funeral & Aquamation Center in St. Louis. Friends and family can sign an online guestbook at www.HughesFuneralAlternatives.com
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