Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/30/26
From Heintzelman-Stephens Funeral Home
Kathleen (Kate) Miller, 58, of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully, moving beyond the suffering of Frontotemporal Dementia / Primary Progressive Aphasia. After her diagnosis in 2020, Kate and her family embraced every day with courage, love, and a determination to find joy in each moment.
Whether you knew her as Kathleen, Kathaleen, Kate, Katie, Mills, Coach, or Kate-Kate, her life was defined by her deep love for her family and her unwavering commitment to the countless families and young people whose lives she touched through athletics and mentorship. She was a devoted mother who believed with all her heart that life’s trials had a way of working themselves out. Kate was a “best friend” to many. She had a true gift with people. She was the best friend to each of her children (Michael and Sara) and her husband of 32 years. Those who knew her will remember her infectious spirit, her candor, her strength, and the balance she found in loving both a good curse word and a good, sweet treat.
A woman of faith and service, Kate was a Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph’s Church in Limeport. She also dedicated her life’s work to the growth and betterment of others through athletics and leadership. Over the years, she served as Head Women’s Lacrosse and Soccer Coach as well as Senior Woman Administrator at Bryn Mawr College, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach and Assistant Men’s & Women’s Soccer Coach at Moravian College, Athletic Director at Southern Lehigh High School, and Executive Director of the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley. Through these roles, she guided, inspired, and believed in the potential of every student-athlete, child, and colleague she encountered.
Kate’s own playing career reflected her remarkable drive and pioneering spirit. At Pennridge High School, as Kate Clemmer, she competed in basketball, boys’ soccer, and girls’ lacrosse. At Temple University, she was part of the 1988 National Championship Lacrosse Team. Kate and her teammates were inducted into the TU HOF in 2012. She was an All-American in 1990 and held the women’s collegiate record for the fastest goal to be scored at the beginning of a game for almost 20 years (9 seconds). Kate played a key role in establishing the university’s women’s soccer program. While at Bryn Mawr College, Kate was a mentor of young women at what is now the Snell-Shillingford Symposium, a program designed to empower undergraduate students to pursue various positions of leadership in athletics. These accomplishments are emblematic of her lifelong commitment to expanding opportunities for women in sports.
Kate is survived by her husband, Todd B. Miller of Coopersburg, children, Michael C. Miller and his fiancée Elisabeth Gunshanen of Charlotte, NC, and Sara M. Miller of Allentown, PA, siblings Christopher Clemmer and his wife Claudia, Colleen Savage and her husband Tom, Maureen Carman and her husband Paul, Eileen Cunningham and her husband Greg, Brendan Clemmer and his wife Dianna, Megan Baum and her partner Louis Marin. She was predeceased by her parents Henry and Sarah (Walsh) Clemmer.
To honor the family’s wishes, the visitation will be kept small. We warmly invite immediate family and very close friends who have had personal experiences with Kate. Visitation will be from 9:00 – 10:45 am on Friday, July 31, 2026. We deeply appreciate your understanding and respect for our privacy as we say our goodbyes. All are welcome to join the family in celebrating Kate’s life at a Memorial Mass immediately following at 11:00 am on Friday, July 31, 2026, at St. Isadore Catholic Church, 2545 W. Pumping Station Road, Quakertown, PA 18951. Please share online condolences at http://www.heintzelmanstephens.com.
Her family and friends will forever carry her boundless energy, her fierce love, and her enduring belief in the goodness of life.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UPENN FTD Center. Online donations @ Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center Gift Fund or via check: Penn Medicine Development, Attn: Penn FTD Center; 3535 Market Street, Suite 750; Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309.
