The Miller Family
Physicians Who Serve
In the early 90s, Greg and Nicole Miller met in medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University. Nicole comes from a family of physicians in Fairfax, VA, and followed a path toward being a pediatrician, while Greg chose the specialty of cardiology. Once they married and started having children, they knew Kingsport was the place for them. After all, Greg grew up here!
The Millers bought their first house in Preston Park in 1997 and have since raised three children, Payton, Lyle, and Grayson, who are all entering the medical field like their parents. Both Nicole and Greg have busy schedules with their respective careers and go home to their other babies at night, German Shepherds Jorg, 14, and Hildegard, 3 (the real ruler of the house).
All three Miller children have completed their undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee (UT), and the family is passionate Tennessee Vols fans. Another activity they love to do as a family is race cars. They’ve worked together at various tracks around the South and Midwest. A recent tradition the Millers have adopted has been going away for the Christmas holiday and hanging out in pajamas in a “woodsy” cabin.
One of the Miller family’s favorite vacations was going to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. During one of their trips, the Millers decided to cross off a bucket list item — sail a boat around the island. With minimal boating experience, Greg captained a 46 ft. sailboat and Nicole, Peyton, Lyle, and Grayson were the crew members. “No one really knew anything about boating or sailing!” said Nicole, “and we almost died several times. Every problem that could’ve happened did. But — it was such a bonding experience. We have the best stories from that trip,” she said.
The eldest Miller child, Payton, is famous for painting the rock at UT before home football games. Under the cover of darkness, she would grab her paint and supplies and get to work. Peyton’s family and friends would be out with lights, coolers, and lots of support as she sometimes took up to 12 hours to paint the Spirit Rock. She’s now at Indiana University in Indianapolis, completing her residency for general surgery.
Greg and Nicole’s son, Lyle, is in his third year of medical school at Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU and wants to be a cardiologist like his dad. He’s a big golfer and played on the golf team at Dobyns-Bennett High School when they went to state in 2014.
Grayson Miller, the youngest, will be graduating from the University of Tennessee this year and is applying to physical therapy school. She’s the physical fitness guru in the family, always trying to get everyone to eat healthy and exercise.
As a couple, Greg and Nicole are often found at Guiseppe’s Italian restaurant in Kingsport — one of their favorites! They also like the Beatles — a fun trip was Paul McCartney’s Freshen Up tour in 2019 — and listening to country music. Most of all, they both love being physicians and helping people. “It’s a calling,” explained Nicole.