Yvonne Miller died last week from stomach cancer and Gov. Bob McDonnell recognized Tuesday as Yvonne B. Miller Day.

Gov. McDonnell named the day after Miller to reflect on her legacy. McDonnell's resolution for the day called Miller a role model who touched the lives of thousands. He credited her for shattering racial and gender barriers in Virginia.

Waynesboro's NAACP President, Rev. Mildred Middlebrook, said Miller impacted her work here in the Valley.

“Certainly has let others like me know that we can achieve if we do the hard work and certainly have care and concern for the downtrodden, the disenfranchised. There are things we can do as well,” said Rev. Middlebrook.

Miller was the first black woman elected to the Virginia House and Senate and the first to chair a Senate committee. She was the longest-serving female in the history of the Virginia Senate.

Gov. McDonnell issued a certificate of recognition for Senator Miller including: "Senator Yvonne B. Miller was a history-maker and a trail blazer who cared deeply about people and served as a strong voice and passionate advocate for the disadvantaged, the forgotten and the overlooked."

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