Obituaries

Geraldine “Gerri” Green Miracle passed away peacefully on August 23, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. She was a woman of remarkable presence, warmth and faith, whose legacy of love and devotion will live on in the countless lives she touched.

A Woman of Character, Faith and Passion

Gerri was the beloved wife of the late John Edward Miracle (April 5, 2025), with whom she shared 61 years of marriage. Their marriage was a beautiful testament to enduring commitment, faith and companionship—a foundation that shaped their family and inspired their children, grandchildren and all who knew them.
She was a devoted and loving mother to her daughters, Jennifer Miracle Niemeyer (Jon) and Amy Miracle Sleet (Hank). Gerri poured her heart into her roles as “Mom,” “Nana,” teacher and friend, offering loving support, encouragement and wisdom. Her greatest joy came as Nana Gerri to Alexandra Lauren Niemeyer, Benjamin Edward Niemeyer (fiancé Olivia Weinberg), Abigail Miracle Sleet, Jack Alton Sleet and Luke Weaver Sleet. She cherished every moment with her grandchildren—rarely missing a game, performance or special event. She traveled across Kentucky and Ohio to cheer them on, no matter the weather, creating treasured memories that will last forever.

Her faith was the cornerstone of her life. She was deeply devoted to prayer, to her church communities at Lakeside Christian Church in Kentucky and Grace Community Church on Hilton Head Island and to living out her belief that people could change and grow. Her quiet confidence in others reflected her strong, steady and unwavering trust in God.

She had many interests in addition to faith and family, including spending time at the beach in Hilton Head with her children and grandchildren, traveling the world, sewing, reading, cooking, decorating, Bible study, and most recently, playing games with her Hilton Head and Northern Kentucky friends.
Gerri also had an artistic soul and a love for beauty. She was an accomplished painter whose works filled her homes. She loved cooking and hosting holidays filled with laughter and abundance. Her talents even led her to represent the University of Kentucky in 2011 in the “Final Fork” competition on the Rachael Ray Show with a UK-themed dessert – an experience she cherished.

A Life Well-Lived

Born on June 2, 1943, in Paintsville, Kentucky to Ova and Gladys Green, Gerri grew up as an only child with a strong sense of family and faith. She carried those values throughout her life as she built a home and legacy with John, Jennifer and Amy. She met John at Paintsville High School, and the high school sweethearts wed in Paintsville, Kentucky, on December 29, 1963, after she graduated in 3 ½ short years from the University of Kentucky (the first of her three degrees). Her final college project was making her own wedding dress.
Following graduation and the wedding, Gerri started her teaching career at Bryan Station High School in Lexington teaching middle school science, followed by a similar position in Mansfield, Ohio. Her first job teaching home economics, her passion, was in Jeffersonville, Indiana. She said she loved teaching how to bake a chocolate pie rather than teaching the water cycle. She said that “my classroom is my happy place!”
In 1972, she and John settled in Northern Kentucky, and she taught at Dixie High School for six years before she started her 18-year career at Beechwood High School. She touched countless lives through her career at Beechwood. In her Home Economics classroom, she taught life skills that students carried with them for a lifetime. She was much more than a teacher to her students – she was a trusted confidant, mentor and their biggest cheerleader. Her school spirit was so strong she designed and made Beechwood’s first tiger mascot. Jennifer and Amy both wore this mascot uniform throughout their high school years. Gerri always felt a sense of pride and nostalgia in seeing students continue this tradition today.

Her teaching honors are so numerous we cannot list them all, but she was named teacher of the year by the American and Kentucky Home Economics Associations, the Beechwood PTSA, the NKY Association of Home Economics Teachers, the Kentucky State Board of Vocational Education, the NKY Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Post, and won the Golden Apple Achiever Award. One of her career highlights was being selected to go to Russia to work in the Kremlin and to Hungary to present her “MIRACLE” entrepreneurship curriculum. Her impact as a teacher and Christian role model extended far beyond the walls of the school.

She was passionate about the University of Kentucky – her love for UK blue was evident in her wardrobe, her convertible and her spirit. One of her proudest moments came in 2018, when she was inducted into the UK College of Environmental Sciences Hall of Fame, surrounded by her proud family. She and John were often the first to arrive at tailgates and games, joyfully claiming the “best” spot and welcoming all who joined them, and they loved traveling to NCAA and SEC tournament games with friends, family and the teams.

Family reunions in Carrollton, time with friends, and cheering for her beloved Wildcats and Beechwood Tigers were among her greatest joys. If you knew Gerri, you knew she had a loving “FOMO” – fear of missing out – always wanting to be where people were, where the action was. And thankfully, she rarely missed a thing.

Even in her final weeks, Gerri’s joy in life shone through. She had the opportunity to spend her birthday in June with Jennifer and Amy in Hilton Head, enjoying one last trip to the beach and visiting with her good friends.

A cherished recent memory came when she received a surprise FaceTime call from Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope, where he invited her to be his special guest at Big Blue Madness – a conversation that lifted her spirits and made her beam for days.

Forever in Our Hearts

Gerri’s legacy is one of caring, showing up and making people feel loved and valued. She will be remembered as a devoted wife, beloved mother and nana, loyal friend, devoted fan, teacher, artist and a woman of God whose faith and joy lit the lives of those around her.

The family invites donations toward the establishment of a scholarship in her name for a graduate of Beechwood High School to the Beechwood Education Foundation, c/o Gerri Miracle Scholarship, 54 Beechwood Road, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky 41017, and to Lakeside Christian Church, 195 Buttermilk Pike, Lakeside Park, Kentucky 41017.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Lakeside Christian Church on Friday, August 29, 2025, with a service to follow at 1:00 p.m. Christian burial at Forest Lawn Cemetery will follow the service. Stith Funeral Home, 7500 US 42, Florence, KY 41042, is serving the family.