Richland Township appoints Ann Miller to late husband's supervisor seat

Richland Township supervisors welcomed a new – yet familiar – face to the board when they met earlier this month to reorganize.

Ann Miller, 55, of Gibsonia, was sworn in to fill a vacant seat that represents the township’s third and fourth districts. The seat used to belong to her husband, Barton Miller.

Barton Miller died Nov. 12 after a 14-month battle with brain cancer. He was 57.

He had served on the board since 2010 and the current term expires Dec. 31. That means his wife will need to run for election if she decides to continue serving in the role.

She hasn’t decided if she will run for election. For now, she said, the responsibility is helping her through the grieving process.

“I did it to honor him. It wasn’t really ever a personal dream of mine,” Ann Miller said of serving as a township supervisor. “But I care about my community.”

She said her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer 14 months before he died. And even through it all, he continued to attend meetings and fulfill his duties, she said.

“He didn’t step down. I remember, through covid and everything going virtual, he went to seven meetings. I drove him to at least two. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live – to drive his car and all these things. He was a very driven person and he was achievement-oriented,” she said.

On the township’s supervisory board, Ann Miller said her husband’s pride and joy was his involvement with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation to install a dek-hockey rink at Richland Township Community Park. A fund has been established through HM3 Partners Independence Fund to enhance the rink.

The Richland Township Board of Supervisors reorganized Jan. 4, when they also swore in Ann Miller. Reappointed to chairman of the board was Raymond Kendrick. Supervisor George P. Allen was reappointed to vice chairman.

The board meets at the township building, 4019 Dickey Road, on the first and third Wednesday of each month. In 2021, the board will meet on the third Wednesday only in June, July, August and September.