Meet Diane

Diane Miller was a daughter, wife, mother and the best kind of friend. Born and raised in York County, Diane graduated from Dallastown Area High School in 1973. She married her high school sweetheart, David Miller, in 1974 when they began to build their life and family together on his family’s farm, Miller Plant Farm. Diane was a devoted wife and homemaker. Family came first, so naturally she was thrilled when she became a mother to her three cherished children, Courtney, Whitney and Dustyn. In addition to her busy family life, Diane found time to support the family business by also working on the farm. Her diverse artistic talents, honest work ethic and welcoming smile proved to be invaluable attributes as she served Miller Plant Farm customers for over 38 years.

Over the years Diane’s passion to create and share beauty with others was demonstrated in countless ways at Miller Plant Farm. Early on Diane was responsible for cutting and bunching fresh field flowers to be sold at market. Her individual flower selections and rich color combinations made striking bouquets. Beautiful holiday flower arrangements and planters were also evidence that Diane was hard at work. She was a master at creating both traditional arrangements as well as more contemporary arrangements with flair! Later Diane created an acrylic line of artificial flower arrangements. She traveled to specific suppliers and hand selected each flower purchased. Her goal...each artificial arrangement was to look realistic and be of superior quality. Miller Plant Farm had a real treasure operating in the midst of their greenhouses. Customers and suppliers grew to know her, trust her and love her!

In 2011, Diane’s dream came true when she and her husband, David, opened the Miller Plant Farm Garden Center! As the store’s retail manager, Diane traveled to trade shows and consulted with artists to fill the store with quality garden supplies and unique gift items. She spent hours planning displays and decorating so that the shopping experience would be memorable. Most importantly, she was available to answer questions, to advise and to interact with customers on a daily basis. Diane was actually living her dream at work in the retail store and at home as she spent time with her husband, children, their spouses...Josh, Matt and Christy and her five beloved grandchildren...Avery, Cameron, Wyatt, Palmer and Alexandra!

On February 13, 2015, Diane became a fighter when she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. From that day until her last she fought bravely. She underwent major surgery in March of 2015 and followed with several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Throughout her fight, Diane spent hours with others who were fighting their own battles against cancer. Choosing between medical expenses or the expenses of daily living was not something Diane had to do. However, some of the people she met had to make that choice everyday. Diane learned about the WellSpan Cancer Patient Help Fund during her time in the Cancer Center. She was comforted by the fact that this Fund gives 100% of the money donated directly to local patients to meet their immediate needs.

In 2017, Miller Plant Farm held the first Cancer Care Day. Diane wanted an entire day dedicated to raising funds and creating awareness for the Cancer Patient Help Fund. That year, over $6,000 was given to patients living and working in our community. In 2018, over $10,000 was raised and donated. The event was renamed Summer Bash, but the mission stayed the same. To date, we have raised more than $100,000 for our community!

Sadly, we lost Diane on June 16, 2018. She fought for over 40 months. In those 40 months, she grew very passionate about giving to those who were fighting. In 2019, to honor Diane and her courageous battle, the Diane Miller Gift of Hope was born. We are a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to keep Diane’s passion alive...To Give HOPE.

Please join us as we strive to share the Gift of Hope with those in need!