Yvonne Frimel Miller

Yvonne Frimel Miller was born on December 13, 1931, in Houston, Texas, and peacefully passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the age of 94. Yvonne was preceded in death by her loving parents, Helen and Maxwell Frimel, and her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and John Landa. Yvonne graduated from San Jacinto High School and attended H. Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans, Louisiana. During her freshman year, she was introduced to a young Aggie named Arnold Miller who quickly became the love of her life. Yvonne and Arnold were married on October 15, 1950, and cherished each of their 75 years of marriage. They were inseparable from their earliest years together to the end of Yvonne’s life. Yvonne and Arnold settled in Waco, Texas, where Arnold built the family meat packing business and Yvonne focused on raising their two children, Karen and Gary. They were dedicated to each other, their children, and the Jewish and broader Waco community. Yvonne took great pride in the home that she and Arnold built on Arroyo Road where they lived for almost 60 years until it was time to move closer to their children in 2021. Yvonne was a fabulous cook, and she and Arnold made a great team as they entertained their friends over countless dinners at their home. She was a voracious reader and a bit of a rebel in Waco as she supported liberal causes and candidates. Yvonne was committed to Judaism and Temple Rodef Shalom, where her favorite activities involved cooking and planning congregational events. Yvonne’s passion for painting became a family enterprise as Yvonne sold her work at local galleries and regional art shows for many years. She especially loved her annual trip to Austin to display her work at the Laguna Gloria Art Festival. Yvonne painted mostly florals in oil while Arnold did the framing. One day, Arnold jokingly pointed out to Yvonne that some of her painting rags looked as good as her paintings. With that inspiration, Yvonne perfected her technique of gluing portions of the rags to become backgrounds on the surface for her own new style of painting. It was a big hit. Those years were full of fun and fulfillment as she adored the companionship of her painting buddies. Yvonne was an incredible mother to Karen and Gary. She was the intellectual in the family and instilled a love of reading, learning, and achievement in her children. She was immensely proud of her kids and later their spouses, her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Beginning in 1976, and extending for over thirty-five years, Yvonne and Arnold were a force together in the development of URJ Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, Texas. They did everything from fund raising to construction supervision to organizational planning. Arnold and Yvonne loved their weekend home built on their farm adjacent to the Greene Family Camp property. Their tireless work and contributions were acknowledged numerous times including the dedication of the camp’s Miller Dining Hall in 1998. Yvonne is survived by her husband, Arnold, by her children, Karen and Joseph Chesnick, Jr., and Toni and Gary Miller. She is also survived by her four grandchildren, Bradley Chesnick (Aimee), Jill Chesnick Bell (Robert), Scott Miller (Sarah), and Allison Leibman (Neville). In addition, she leaves her eleven great-grandchildren, Andrew, Daniel and Helen Bell, Max and Addison Chesnick, Kate, Henry, and James Leibman, and Owen, Jake, and Hunter Miller. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Yvonne’s caregivers, Will Fuentes and Bernardo Fuentes. Their love, support, and devotion to Yvonne and to Arnold has been truly inspirational. A private burial was held at Congregation Beth Israel Memorial Garden, and a memorial service is being held in the Gordon Chapel at Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 N. Braeswood, Houston, Texas, 77096, at 11:00 am on Sunday, May 17, 2026, with Rabbi David Lyon and Cantor Kenneth Feibush officiating. For those unable to attend in person, the memorial service will be livestreamed at https://www.beth-israel.org/livestreaming/. For those who wish to honor Yvonne’s memory, the family requests donations to Greene Family Camp (www.greene.org), Congregation Beth Israel (www.beth-israel.org/giving), or a charity of your choice.

Yvonne Frimel Miller

December 13, 1931 - May 3, 2026