VERO BEACH, Fla. – Alice Nevius Miller, 83, of 458 Bimini Cay, Vero Beach, Fla., died July 20, after a short illness.

She was born in Somerville, N.J., Feb. 14, 1925, daughter of Elizabeth and George R Nevius and was the youngest of four daughters. She graduated from Somerville High School and attended Wheelock College, where she was active in women’s athletics excelling in basketball. She married her childhood sweetheart, Alexander C. Miller on Aug. 13, 1944.

She raised three boys while Al completed his degree at Syracuse. Moving to Mexico, she completed her family with the birth of a daughter and stayed at home raising the kids, gardening and beginning her long career as an accomplished artist in many mediums, including tray painting, furniture refinishing, painting, stenciling and quilting.

As the children grew, she worked at the Mexico High School library and in the guidance department until her retirement. She was a member of both the Mexico Congregational Church and the Community Church of Vero Beach.

During her years in Mexico, she was on the board of directors of the Rumford Mechanics Institute, very active in the Junior Chisholm Ski Club, coached the high school girls ski team, and was an official at the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1980, with her husband Al and son Jim. She was also accepted into the Historical Society of Early American Decorators and was a member of the Pine Tree Quilters Guild and the Vero Beach Sun Bonnet Sues. She enjoyed being a Red Hat lady.

She was a woman of incredible strength of spirit, riding her bike daily around the park, knocking off her competitors in bocce, and completing many quilts for her family with her last being for Presley, her newest great-grandchild. She loved to dance, laugh and travel to quilt shows to buy more fabric with her daughter, whom she lived with in the summers. Her love of all things colorful and akin to nature will keep her spirit alive in all that had the joy of knowing her. She loved her life with her family and friends with all her heart.

She is survived by her four children, Alexander Jr. (Sandy) and Barbara of Wilton, James and his wife, Pam, of Casper, Wyo., Patrick of Salt Lake City, Utah, and her daughter, Leslie and Tom, of Auburn; eight grandchildren, Deven and Jesse Morrill, Josh and Jim Miller, Ashley and Adam Miller, Bryce and Jennifer Gill; six great-grandchildren, Abigail and Luke Miller, Riley Nutting, Shepherd Miller, Presley Cash Beauchesne, Quinton Perkins; and a set of twins to be born this fall.

She was predeceased by Al in 1998; and three sisters, Helen Van Keuran, Westfield, N.J., Betty Hoaglund, Somerville, N.J., and Mary Bleckwehl, Gettysburg, Va.