Early Life

Joan was the fourth of five children born to Joseph and Magdalena Miller. At the age of six, Joan began music lessons, and when the family moved to Regina she continued her musical education with our Sisters at Sacred Heart Academy where she later also completed her secondary education.

The Value of Education and Hard Work

Her parents valued education and hard work; Joan quickly showed an amazing talent and love of music, a gift that was to be the hallmark of her life, enriching the lives of the community, colleagues, and her many students. Religious values and service to the church were also modeled in the Miller home; her father was Superintendent of the Regina Separate (Catholic) Schools and her brother became a priest of the Archdiocese of Regina. Joan too felt called and joined the Congregation after completing her high school at Sacred Heart Academy.

A Teacher and a Student

From the time of her first profession in 1954 until her retirement in 2015, Joan was always simultaneously a teacher and a student. Her first mission was St. Joseph’s Convent, Saskatoon, 1954-63, where she taught and continued her musical education with the renowned Dr. Lyell Gustin. She credits his influence with inspiring her to pursue her musical education, a pursuit which the community encouraged and supported.

Academic Achievements

Her love and talent for teaching and her thirst for knowledge dominated Joan’s mission, and the story of her life would be incomplete without reference to ‘some’ of her numerous academic achievements. She studied in Canada, Siena Italy, London England, and Bloomington Indiana, USA.

She obtained a Bachelor of Music from the University of Saskatchewan, Associate and Licentiate from the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music, Licentiates from both London’s Trinity College and Guildhal, and Master and Doctoral degrees from Indiana University.

In spite of these formidable achievements, Joan continued to teach and spent only about two years exclusively in study, 1969/70 in Sienna Italy and London, and 1977/78 in Indiana. She pursued most of her studies during ‘holiday’ time.

Sacred Heart Academy and Brandon University

After leaving Saskatoon, Joan taught in the music department of Sacred Heart Academy, Regina from 1963-1969, and 1970-77. In 1979 she obtained a position in the Music Department of Brandon University where she became an Associate professor; she also taught private lessons in the Music Department of Saint Michael’s Academy.

Joan continued in these two ministries for 33 years until her retirement from the university in 2012. She then continued her private teaching for 3 additional years until ill health forced her full retirement in 2015.

World Traveler

Joan travelled extensively across Canada, the United States, and Central America as an examiner for the Toronto Royal Conservatory, adjudicator for music festivals, teacher of workshops, and performer in recitals. Her academic degrees were in “Performance” and she performed with several prestigious and famous persons in the music world. She was a much sought after teacher for workshops and was invited in 2002 to give a piano pedagogy workshop at the University School of Music in Costa Rica.

Simple, Kind and Loving

Joan was a kind, simple and loving person; she relished the pursuit of knowledge, both for itself and because she could then better serve her students. No student who wished to study with Joan was refused and her goal was to help each achieve his/her potential.

She donated many hours to accompanying church choirs, and her skill could bring out the best in a massive pipe organ or a simple electric organ in a small country church.

She was generous with her time, and donated many hours to accompanying a budding 10 year old violinist who later became an award winning musician, performing in renowned concert halls around the world.

General Chapter and Life in Community

Joan attended the tertianship in 1978/9 and was a delegate to the General Chapter in 1996. Her life in community was a priority, but we must admit that her extremely busy life meant she was sometimes late for or absent from community gatherings. However, she knew that the community supported her ministry and she fully supported community events and endeavors. She had a magical touch at the keyboard, a gift she generously contributed to many of our jubilee and other community celebrations.

The End of an Era

In 2015 Joan’s health failed, and she was transferred from Brandon to a Personal Care Home in Regina. Her departure from Brandon was historic for the Congregation in Canada. The mission in Brandon, founded in August 1899, was the second foundation after Grande Clairière. Joan’s departure on June 30, 2015, marked the end of 116 years of continuous presence of the Congregation in Brandon.

A Simple Farewell

A simple ceremony was arranged at St. Augustine Church by the Catholic Women’s League to farewell Joan and to mark this significant milestone in the life of the Congregation and the parish.

Legacy

Joan Miller’s legacy will live on in her many students who treasure their time with her and the gift she was to their music education. The community honored Joan in a special way; in November 2015, as a tangible legacy to her many years of service at Brandon University and Saint Michael’s Academy, the Canadian Province of the Congregation funded the “DR. JOAN MILLER SCHOLARSHIP-BURSARY IN CLASSICAL PIANO” for deserving and promising students of the University of Brandon School Of Music. We also partnered with the Brandon Music Teachers’ Association in establishing a bursary with the Brandon Festival of the Arts.

Internment

Sister Joan Miller was buried from Christ the King Church, Regina, on February 11, 2021. Archbishop Emeritus James Weisgerber, a longtime friend of the community, presided at the Eucharistic celebration. We are grateful and treasure the gift that Joan has been to the community, to the music world and to the Church.