MARY BURNS MILLER

Mary was raised in Kansas City, MO, and graduated from the Anderson School in Upstate New York in 1969. She co-founded Pavement Exchange Group, a nationwide commercial paving company, with Henry in her adopted hometown of Charlotte, where she lived since 1992. Her father Foster was the co-owner of women’s clothing store Cricket West on the Kansas City Plaza, and some of her best childhood memories were of going to fashion shows in New York with him in the early 1960s to select pieces for their store, and of visiting her family in Los Angeles. Those trips sparked a love of travel that fueled her quest for an adventure-filled life. She attended Prescott College in Arizona and spent a year exploring Maui in 1971. She lived in San Francisco, one of her favorite U.S. cities, for a decade, where she bravely roller-skated on the city’s famously steep streets and made lifelong friends.
 

Mary took memorable vacations over the years across the United States and to London, Prague, Paris, Berlin, Scotland, Curacao, Switzerland, Kauai and Puerto Rico. She checked places off her bucket list as often as possible. She was the life of the party and loved music, dancing, baking, playing cards and beating anyone who dared to challenge her in backgammon, which she played masterfully. She enjoyed all things pop culture and rightfully boasted that her first concert was the Beatles in Kansas City in 1964. Mary “never met a stranger” and cherished her friends in her recovery group in Charlotte, which brought her a sense of peace and belonging, and adored animals, especially her three cats, Shiloh, Tater and Piper.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents Gloria Hunter Callaway and Foster Burns, Sr., brother Foster Burns, Jr., stepfather William Callaway, and stepsister Penelope Callaway Athon. She is survived by her devoted husband of 30 years, Henry Miller, daughters Jennifer Sklar of New Orleans and Megan Faircloth of Los Angeles, Charlotte-based children Rob Miller (Nadia), Paige Martin (Brandon), Nick Miller (Rochelle) and Richard Miller (Laurie), and her stepsister Dorothy Callaway Rea (George) of Kansas City. Mary’s ten grandchildren were the pride and joy of her life and will miss her dearly. She often called her children and friends to share funny stories about the grandkids and was so proud of each of them and their accomplishments. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family and friends all over the country. She will be deeply missed by countless people who knew and loved her. A private celebration of life will be held in Charlotte in June. In lieu of flowers, the family would greatly appreciate donations in her name to the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Go Jen Go, the SPCA or a local animal shelter.