Giving
Marissa Elise Miller, age 12, passed away on September 5, 2013 after collapsing at soccer practice due to an unidentified congenital heart abnormality. She was born April 17, 2001. She was a seventh grade student at Jackson Middle School where she was a straight A student. Marissa has an older brother, Tyler, and sister, Ciara, who both attend Parkersburg High School. Marissa loved spending time with family, friends, and her dog. She was an active volunteer at the Humane Society and also volunteered teaching youth basketball.
Marissa had a passion for soccer, basketball, and running. In basketball, she has played point guard for teams at Greenmont Elementary School, Jackson Middle School, and in the Pioneer Basketball League. She was the leading scorer by wide margins in all three of these leagues. She also played travel basketball for both the Elite Sports Center and the Red Storm. She wore her favorite number, 44, for all of these teams. She also loved soccer, playing since she was 5. She was a central midfielder for Club Ohio.
Marissa loved to run. She would often go on a 2-3 mile run just for the joy of it. She took first place in the state in the 400 m for track. In cross country, she always finished in the top and was the leading female runner at Jackson Middle School when she was only in the sixth grade (competing against seventh and eighth graders).
Without a doubt, Marissa was a gifted athlete, but as great as she was in sports, she was an even better person. She was humble, never boastful. It was important to her that everyone around her was happy. She would put other peoples' happiness first, over her own. She was kind to everyone and found the good in everyone. She excelled in many activities because of her hard work ethic and fierce determination. She was a fun loving girl and loved being silly. She will always be remembered for her kind, sweet personality and contagious smile. When playing sports, she enjoyed the friendships and team bonding as much as the sport itself. She leaves us with important words in her motto that she lived by every day. "Be kind. Work hard. Have fun."