Blair County Courthouse unveils judge’s portrait
Miller, who died in 2024, remembered for community impact
Tracy Miller (third from left) and her son, Grant Miller, 17, talk with Trooper Matthew McCalpin and Tracy’s cousin, Emily Davis, after the unveiling of the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Senior Judge Jolene Kopriva (left) watches Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, unveil the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, unveil the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Artist Wafa Alsleem talks prior to the unveiling of her portrait of the late Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, smile after the unveiling of the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tracy Miller (third from left) and her son, Grant Miller, 17, talk with Trooper Matthew McCalpin and Tracy’s cousin, Emily Davis, after the unveiling of the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Senior Judge Jolene Kopriva (left) watches Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, unveil the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, unveil the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Artist Wafa Alsleem talks prior to the unveiling of her portrait of the late Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tracy Miller and her son, Grant Miller, 17, smile after the unveiling of the portrait of Judge Fred Miller in Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Family, friends and coworkers gathered at the Blair County Courthouse Wednesday for the portrait unveiling of the late Judge Fred B. Miller, remembered by many for his lasting impact on the community.
"He would have loved this," Miller's wife Tracy said.
Miller, who passed away in November 2024, was appointed as a Magisterial District Judge in 2002 and served the Northern Blair County community for more than 20 years. He was elected to Blair County's Court of Common Pleas in 2023 and served for eight months before passing away from a brief battle with cancer at 54.
Miller's only son, Grant, 17, unveiled the painting hung in the back of courtroom one, the first modern painting to hang in the room with 19th- and early 20th-century county judge paintings.
"And that's appropriate, too, because this was a dream of his," senior Judge Jolene Kopriva said to the crowd.
During his judicial career in Blair County, she said Miller worked in courtroom one and made decisions on the bench each day. Judges don't get to watch each other in court, but she saw the product of orders and thought his experience shined through his work.
"This courtroom meant a lot to him," she said. "He considered it a privilege to be here, which made him even more special."
Miller's portrait was in the works for more than a year until Miller's former babysitter, Sue Griep, reached out to artist Wafa Alsleem about the project. Alsleem completed her painting of Miller two months later.
Before painting Miller's portrait, Alsleem sorted through previous photos of Miller -- along with the chosen headshot -- to highlight his personality in the painting as well.
"And also I read about him to know more, his smile and his eyes," she said. "I tried to do all this to capture his features."
No one saw the finished painting until Wednesday afternoon, she said.
Photographs are one thing, but she said paintings can bring out the person's character through their features using different colors and types of paint.
"He's smiling at them like he's alive," she said.
Grant, who is now a senior at Tyrone Area High School, said the portrait captures his father's likeness.
"The portrait would mean so much to him, and it means so much to us to have him honored this way," Tracy said.
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.