If you had the honor of knowing Miller Bruce Sullivan, you knew a gifted, kind, and beautiful gift from God who was a blessing in every encounter he had during his very impactful life.

Miller Sullivan

Miller passed away in his sleep due to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) on January 15, 2025.

UKirk, a collegiate ministry, received many donations in Miller’s memory because of his long association with the Presbyterian organization. Mom, Linda, recounts: “Last spring, Rev. Rachel Penmore, the minister at UKirk, asked to have coffee with JD and me. She said UKirk had received donations in memory of Miller, and the Board wanted to spruce up the backyard.”

The “spruce up” became a complete renovation, and what followed in creating Sullivan Space is a moving, inspirational tribute to the heart of mankind.

James Gilbert, a sophomore at Webb School of Knoxville (Miller’s alma mater) and son of current Board member Amy Gilbert, chose to participate in the renovation to complete his Eagle Scout certification. His family and friends braved a lot of poison oak to clear the area and built sturdy benches and a fire pit.

Earthadelic was in the midst of a backyard renovation at the Sullivan house when Miller died, and the co-owner, Dale Madden, wanted to help with the UKirk project. The landscape designer, Rudi Wimberley, lovingly and carefully designed the space with Miller in mind, including particular plants and trees attached to scripture.

Lyn and Darrell Oakley of Brandon’s Awards and Engraving donated the plaque to be mounted near the fire pit so Miller will always be present with those who gather.

Karen Lampley of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church painted a quote from Miller’s UKirk Senior Sermon on a canvas to remind friends of Miller’s desire and hope for the world. The quote is on the plaque, too: “No matter the challenges we face, if we face them together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”

On Saturday, April 11, the new Miller’s Space was dedicated, with a host of family and friends joining in the celebration.

 

Rev. Penmore played the guitar and with Katherine Beeler, Devin Hall and Ella Levering, sang Soon, Love, Soon.

Rev. Penmore and Rev. Andy Morgan, former UKirk minister during Miller’s time at UT and Director of Family Faith Formation at First Presbyterian Church, planned and delivered the Blessing of the Sullivan Space. Here it is below. We had cups of flower petals to sprinkle on the space as we said “Let it be shared” in unison.

Front: JD and Linda Sullivan (Miller’s parents), Grace and Owen Feld (Miller’s sister and her husband). Back: Angela Bell with Reverend Lyn Oakley and husband Darrell.

BLESSING

We gather in this space with gratitude and tenderness, holding together the memory of Miller and the community that continues here. As we dedicate this place, may it be filled with the same love, presence, and connection that shaped it. May we continue to live the Miller’s legacy of Curiosity, Justice, Belonging, Hope in each quiet moment and joyful gathering. In this space, love abounds.

Let it be shared 

May this space awaken wonder within us— the kind that asks questions without fear, that notices small beauty and lingers there, that dares to imagine new ways of being. May we come here open. May we come here curious, ready to learn from one another, and from the sacred stories carried in this place. Love abounds.

Let it be shared 

May this space be wide enough for all of who we are— our laughter and our quiet, our joy and our grief.  May each person who enters know they are not alone, that they are seen, known, and held. May all who come here know their value and worth. May this be a place where strangers become friends,  and friends become family. Love abounds.

Let it be shared 

May this space stir in us a holy restlessness  to seek justice, love mercy, walking humbly  With a refusal to accept a world that leaves some outside. May it strengthen our courage to speak, to act, to listen,  and to stand with those whose voices are silenced. May the love remembered here move us outward,  to build a more just and compassionate world. Love abounds.

Let it be shared 

May this space be rooted in hope— the kind that persists even in sorrow,  the kind that grows quietly, like seeds beneath the soil. May it remind us that endings are not the end,  that love continues, that life finds a way.  And may we carry that hope with us as we go, again and again, into the world. Love abounds.

Let it be shared 

And as we leave this space, may we carry its spirit with us—living more fully, loving more deeply, and remembering always that we belong to one another.

May this place continue to speak of a life that mattered, and a love that does not end. Because Love abounds.

Let it be shared.  Amen.

The committee members who planned the dedication included many who were connected to Miller across many areas of his life. Rev. Rachel Penmore – current UKirk Minister, Jaclyn Beeler – former UKirk Communications Director during Miller’s time at UT, Jennifer Maryanski –  a member of First Presbyterian Church and the mother of Miller’s dear friend Austin,  Robin French – member of Fountain City Presbyterian Church and friend of the Sullivan family, and Miller’s mother- Linda Sullivan.

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