Aida Maria Miller

Aida was born on April 7, 1930, to Alexandre and Aida Bittencourt in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her family later moved to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, where she grew up. Aida was a geography teacher when she met Lionel (Woody) Miller at the Yacht Clube da Bahia during Carnaval and the two were inseparable from that point on. Woody, an American from Massachusetts, was a Foreign Service Officer on his first overseas assignment. They married and together they traveled extensively. Aida spoke Portuguese, Spanish, English, some Italian, French, and German. After having lived in Brazil, Panama, Uruguay, Germany, Ecuador, and Mexico, Aida and Woody eventually settled in Alexandria, Virginia.

Aida was one of a kind. She was intelligent, curious, adventurous, stylish, and she loved her family and friends fiercely. She genuinely enjoyed meeting people and it was often said that once she knew you, you were family. Aida enjoyed cooking her native dishes such as feijoada, Bacalao, and flan for her family and friends. She loved music and dancing - especially the Twist and her native Samba. She was an avid fan of puzzles and could be found daily working on puzzles from the Washington Post, New York Times, and various puzzle books. She was also a huge fan of fútbol, known as soccer here in the U.S. Aida was generous and kind. She always took the time to listen and her advice was often sought out by those who knew her. She loved to give gifts, and kept a well-stocked gift closet. No one could easily leave her presence empty handed.

Aida was predeceased by her father and her mother, her two brothers and three sisters. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Lionel; her four daughters, Mona (Bill), L. Chris, Patricia, and Teresa (Christopher); her six grandchildren, Michael (Laura), Shane (Ashley), Gabrielle, Christopher, Alexander, and Ian; and five great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm at Demaine Funeral Home, 520 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA. 22314. Following the visitation, there will be a graveside service from 2:30-3:00 pm. at Mount Comfort Cemetery, 6600 South Kings Highway, Alexandria, VA 22306. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make a donation to your favorite charity in memory of Aida.