Patricia Reece-Miller was born on April 21, 1935 in Key West, Florida. She was the fourth of nine children born to the wedded union of Thomas Ferguson and Charlotte Lavong. She is survived by her sister, Rose Benton who resides in Vacaville, California. Patricia's parents and other siblings: Natalie, Robert, John, Simeon, Enoch, Celeste, and Romelda preceded her in death.

Patricia received her primary school education in Key West, Florida at Saint Francis Xavier Parochial School. She attended Frederick Douglass High School and graduated salutatorian in 1952 . She earned her BA in Business Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1956 .

Following graduation, Patricia left New Orleans and moved to New York City with her sister Rose and best friend, Betty Culmer. She got her first job by joining the secretarial pool at Macy's department store. She continued to educate herself and successfully earned her MA in English from New York University. She eventually accepted a teaching position with the New York Public School System.

In 1960, Patricia met and married Eugene Reece, an airman in the United States Air Force, who was stationed in New York. As a military spouse, Patricia began to travel more throughout the United States. She taught typing, shorthand, and English to students in California, Hawaii, Missouri, and Illinois. Their first daughter, Phyllis Ramona Reece, was born at Scott Air Force Base during this time. Three years later, they welcomed a second daughter, Evelyn Renee Reece while living overseas in Taiwan.

Patricia acknowledged that her final position of employment was both the most challenging and the most rewarding. She taught middle school English for thirty years at Rock Junior High School in East Saint Louis, Illinois. She was very proud of the bonds she formed as well as the friendships she maintained with students and fellow teachers throughout the years. Patricia married her second husband, engineer, Willie Miller in 1984 and they lived together happily until his death un July of 2005 .

Patricia retired from Rock-Hughes Quinn Junior High in 1996 after the birth of her first granddaughter, Simone Patrice Reece. Her second granddaughter, Evan Celeste Senat was born in 1999 .

Patricia leaves to cherish her memory: daughters Phyllis and Evelyn; granddaughters, Simone and Evan; her sister, Rose; her best friend Betty; her godson, Fred; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.