Denise Miley Memorial Scholarship

Frank and Lucille Miley learned just how significant their friends and family were when they lost their young daughter Denise in 1986. It was through their thoughtfulness and generosity, coupled with some creative financing, that the Mileys were able to establish an endowed scholarship in their daughter’s name at California Lutheran University.

Denise was a lovely and happy child in spite of a physical handicap known as amyatonia that had been diagnosed when she was about 10 months old. With the tender loving care of her family, she grew into her teenage years. She loved people and was as active as her physical limitations would allow. She was only 13 when she lost her battle with the disease. Her parents made certain that her legacy lived on through the scholarship.

Memorial gifts from family and friends were maximized with the help of the matching gift program of Lutheran Brotherhood, and the scholarship reached CLU’s endowment level in 1988.

The Mileys were residents of Camarillo for many years. Frank Miley, the son of and brother of Lutheran pastors, was an engineer who earned his MBA at CLC in 1979. Lucille was a physical education teacher who put her career on hold to care for Denise. Lucille later returned to education and worked as an assistant in special education classrooms. Their other daughter, Carol, who was two years younger than Denise, completed their family. The Mileys were active members of Mt. Cross Lutheran Church.

Award criteria for the Denise Miley Memorial Scholarship are simple: the recipient should be an undergraduate Lutheran student with at least a 3.0 grade point average who qualifies for financial assistance.