Deborah Ann Villari-Miller

Deborah Ann Villari-Miller was born January 6, 1949.  She died on December 7, 2025. She was the loving daughter of the late Salvator and Rosemary Villari, devoted wife of the late Douglas B. Miller, stepmother of Crystal Miller (Anthony Shirley), Theresa Taylor, and Anthony Taylor, grandmother to Hailey, Alexis, Anthony (TJ), and Joseph Shirley, and Emberlyn, Anthony and Ezekial Taylor. She was the big sister of Sandra Villari, aunt to Dena Perella and Sharon Iles, and grand aunt to Kiara Spaulding, Tanner and Kendall Iles, and Marissa, Vinny and Sydney Perella, and cousin to Diana (Teski) Hamilton and Al Teski and too many others to mention.

Services will be on Monday, December 15, 2025, at St Saviour Parish, 4136 Myrtle Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. Visitation will be at 10:00 AM in the entry of church with Funeral Mass following at 11:00. Burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St Saviour Parish or the American Heart Association.

Debbie was a graduate of Mt. Notre Dame High School, Jewish Hospital School of Nursing, Associate and Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati, Master’s Degree in Business from Xavier University and a life-long learner – she always won the Cross Town Shootout.

Debbie was a NURSE! That was her identity and calling. She worked at Jewish Hospital for over 50 years, concentrating in Cardiac Care early on, transitioning to open heart surgery (an early pioneer in this expertise), then general surgery including Surgery Department Manager, and later in the Recovery Room. Even after her retirement, Debbie went back to work in a Nursing Home.

Although baptized at St. Francis de Sales, Debbie has been an active St. Saviour parishioner since 1955. Her faith community and her God have been a major pillar of her life. Towards the end, when she could no longer donate money or “work the festival”, she continued in bible study and answering calls for the St. Vincent de Paul Society (from her hospital bed a month ago.)

After many of life’s turns, Debbie reunited with her grade-school/high school boyfriend, Doug Miller at the St. Saviour Festival in 1992. They were married in November 1993. The minister was late and began the ceremony with, “I am sorry to keep you all waiting, but I don’t feel as bad since I heard that they have kept you waiting for over 20 years”. Doug’s daughter Crystal joined the family and later brought Crystal’s half sister and brother, Theresa and Anthony, to make it a full family (along with the dogs and cat!). Crystal remembers singing oldies in the car and dancing – especially the Twist, and Anthony and Debbie’s nieces remember her taking them to Red’s games. They apologized to Debbie for being such terrible teenagers – they were just teenagers - and they brought so much joy to her life.