09/13/2024

Barbara Ellen Miller

Date of Death: January 12, 2024

Barbara Ellen (Hancock) Miller, of Hanover, PA and Lansdale, PA, entered into the loving arms of God on Friday, January 12, 2024 after 73 years with her earthly family.  She was the wife of Warren Freas Miller, Jr., whom she married December 27, 1975.

Born June 17, 1950, she was the daughter of the late Raymond and Blanche (Meiswinkel) Hancock.  Barb dearly loved her mother and thought of her every day.  She spoke with Blanche daily until her mother’s sudden death. 

Barb and Warren (“Wiff”) were blessed and honored to have three children, Warren Freas “Wren” Miller III (Tara Thomas), Cynthia Andra Haas (Andrew J. Haas, Esq.), and Bennett Tyler Miller, who died the day he was born, April 5, 1988.

Barb graduated from George Washington High School and Peirce Junior College, both in Philadelphia.  At Peirce, Barb met her wonderful friends, Irene (Lee) Yeck and Mary (Joos) Trask.  These friendships have lasted over 55 years and are still going strong.  Upon Irene’s marriage to Lou and Mary’s marriage to Richard, our families shared many happy times together.  After Peirce, Barb graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Elementary Education with additional certifications in Special Education. 

Barb’s family has a long history of serving the community as funeral directors.  After receiving her college degrees, Barb graduated with honors from The American Academy McAllister Institute in New York, NY, with a degree in Mortuary Science, after which she joined her parents at the Hancock Funeral Home, Ltd. on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia.  After passing the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors examination, Barb received her funeral director’s license and joined the family business as a third-generation funeral director.  Barb completed her 50th year as a licensed funeral director just days before her death. 

Barb was especially caring and had a calling to help children. She was a teacher at Fourth Street Academy in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Public School System until 1977.

Barb and Wiff lived in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia when they were first married.  Her husband is also a funeral director. Together they purchased the Wetzel Funeral Home in Hanover and moved to Hanover in 1977.  In those early years, she worked side by side with Wiff in all aspects of the funeral home.  More recently, she took great pride in working with Wren and Cynthia at Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home in Lansdale.  

Barb was active in many Hanover community organizations and charitable endeavors, including St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church and its children’s choirs and Vacation Bible School, the Soroptimist Club, Lioness Club, York Little Theater, DreamWrights Children’s Theater, and many Hanover Public School District groups. 

After both her children were in school, Barb served as a substitute teacher and was later a full-time elementary and middle school teacher in the Hanover Public School District.  Following her retirement, she returned to teaching as a substitute teacher in the South Western School District in Hanover.

Barb and Wiff seldom, if ever, missed any of their children’s school or community events.  Also, their children were both very gracious and accepting of the countless college visits that Barb and Wiff made to The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA (Wren’s alma mater) and to The John’s Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD (Cynthia’s alma mater).  Those visits were of immense joy and pleasure for Barb. 

Barb’s grandparents and parents had an over fifty-year history of going to the seashore in Ocean City, NJ.  It was natural that Barb and Wiff bought a summer cottage in Ocean City near her parents and later moved to Avalon, NJ.  Barb was able to spend a lot of time at the New Jersey Shore and visiting her children at school due to the dedication, professionalism, expertise, and exemplary service provided by Warren’s cousin and Wetzel Funeral Home manager, Stephen K. Miller, and with Josephine Diehl’s over 47 years of unparalleled administrative expertise.

Following the marriage of Warren III to Tara Thomas in 2010, Barb and Wiff were honored and overjoyed to be grandparents to Lucy Wren Miller and Lydia Elisabeth Miller.  Barb and Wiff were again honored and overjoyed when their daughter Cynthia married Andrew J. Haas, Esq. in 2019, and their youngest granddaughter, Xandra Bary Haas, was born in 2022.

Barb is also survived by her older brother, Raymond Hancock, DDS (Reba), and her younger brother, Ronald Hancock (Carol).  Barb spoke with Carol every morning, and she and Wiff spent countless days and evenings, especially going to dinner and day trips, with Ronnie and Carol, along with their children.  Additional survivors include her sisters-in-law, Lesley A. Miller and Lisa A. Miller, who were dedicated in caring for Barb during her illness; and her brother-in-law, Edward K. “Ted” Miller; her extended family; and many dear friends, especially her teacher friends.  

For Barb, it was all about family, her close friends, helping others, not troubling others, and the faith connection she made at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lansdale.  Her helpfulness was exceeded only by her kindness to others and her dedication to her family.

There will be two funeral services for Barbara.  The first service will be held 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, 30 W. Chestnut Street, Hanover, PA 17331 with The Rev. Dr. Kathy Vitalis Hoffman and The Rev. Faye C. Synder officiating.  The viewing will be on the same day, Wednesday, from 1:15-2:15 p.m. at the Wetzel Funeral Home & Crematory, 549 Carlisle St., Hanover.  There will be no viewing at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The second service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 19, 2024 at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446 with The Rev. Fritz Fowler officiating.  The viewing will be held in the chapel at Trinity starting at 9:00 a.m. and will end promptly at 10:00 a.m.

The family would like to especially thank the countless physicians, nurses, medical professionals, and caregivers who helped Barb during her long struggle with myelodysplastic syndrome.  There are far too many to mention, but their care will not be forgotten.  

The Wetzel Funeral Home team has had an immensely positive impact on Barb’s life.  Our family has been beyond blessed thanks to their commitment to the community and our family.  The Miller Family is so grateful for them.  

For those desiring, contributions in her memory may be made to St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, address above, or to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, address above.  

While Barb would have really liked to have spent more healthy time with her family and friends, the bottom line is that we are comforted to know that she is now at peace.