GREAT BARRINGTON — Doris “Meme” Miller, 80, passed away on June 26, 2020, at her home in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Born on Dec. 12, 1939, in Great Barrington, she was the first child of the late John A. DeLand Sr. and Luella (Markham) DeLand.
She attended Roeliff Jansen Central School in Copake, N.Y., and then Mount Everett High School in Sheffield.
Doris wore many different hats when she was in the workforce, all while balancing family life. In her early years, she was a Nursing Assistant at The Pines Nursing Home; Packaging Operator at Becton Dickinson; Assembly Lineworker at Bicron Electronics; Dietary Supervisor at Noble Horizons; Supervisor at The Lakeville Journal; Private Duty Caregiver; and she owned a lawn mowing business with her husband up until her retirement.
She married her husband, the late Kenneth Miller, on Aug. 8, 1996, in Niagara Falls.
In 2012, she retired and moved to Florida with her husband full-time after selling their home in Copake Falls. Although she lived in Florida full-time, she would still visit family during the holidays and attended special milestones. She also could not go back to her home in Florida until she made her infamous spaghetti and homemade sauce.
She loved spending time with her family, especially time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When she wasn’t watching NASCAR, she enjoyed camping throughout the United States, crafting, knitting and crocheting.
One of her favorite sayings was “What’s that noise?” and we are beginning to understand what a treasure that truly is.
She leaves two children, Melissa Waldron of North Canaan and Patrick McGuire and his wife, Beth, of North Canaan; four siblings, John A. DeLand Jr., and his wife, Penny, of Housatonic, Mass., Stephen DeLand Sr. and his wife, Hisae, of Japan, Brian DeLand and his companion, Andrea Eichstedt, of Sheffield and Karen DeLand and her companion, Michael Murphy, of Alford, Mass.; five grandchildren, Amy Kuhn and her husband, Joshua, of San Antonio, Texas, Adam Waldron and his wife, Michele, of North Canaan, Heather Tatro, and her husband, Christopher, of San Antonio and Hannah McGuire and Connor McGuire, both of North Canaan; and two great-grandchildren and one on the way, Kennedy Kuhn, Addison Waldron and Olivia Tatro.
She was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth Miller, in October 2017. She was also predeceased by one brother, Charles DeLand, in January 2016.
Due to COVID-19, a private memorial service will be held at a later date.
