Kathy Miller, 69, women's rights activist

Mary Katherine "Kathy" McKinney Miller, 69, a prominent women's rights activist, died of pancreatic cancer Sunday, April 17, at her Chestnut Hill home.

Ms. Miller was born to a Quaker family in Central City, Neb. After graduating from Scattergood Friends School, a boarding school in Iowa, she enrolled in Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. She transferred from there to George Washington University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's in counseling.

In 1971, Ms. Miller and her former husband, Keith Miller, moved to Philadelphia. She became involved in Quaker social activism, living in a communal setting with other activists as a founding member of the Life Center Association.

Ms. Miller became a women's liberation activist in her early years in Philadelphia, becoming involved in the National Organization for Women.

Longtime friend and colleague Ellen Deacon said Ms. Miller drew controversy from other feminists in the '70s and '80s by espousing that "men are not the enemy."

Ms. Miller went on to become the president of NOW's Philadelphia chapter and later president of the Pennsylvania NOW.

In addition to her work to fight sexism, Ms. Miller was heavily involved in the controversial Seattle-based organization Re-evaluation Counseling.

Founded in the 1950s by Harvey Jackins, Re-evaluation Counseling promotes a peer-based approach to counseling, usually done in pairs through active listening. It shuns traditional counseling for being hierarchical. Re-evaluation Counseling had been criticized by academics for its irregular approach to therapy and its charismatic governing structure.

Ms. Miller continued her activism until her death, said Deacon, a fellow Quaker activist.

"Old activists don't retire," Deacon said.

She said Ms. Miller's interests changed in the last 10 years, focusing more on combating racism and promoting Quaker spirituality. She and her husband divorced a year or two ago, Deacon said, but they had been separated for years.

In addition to her former husband, Ms. Miller is survived by her son, Patrick; two sisters; a brother; and five nieces.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, May 7, at 3 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 20 E. Mermaid Lane

JTomczuk@phillynews.com @JackTomczuk