Obituary of Anne Marie Miller
Anne Marie Miller, age 80, of Rush, NY, formerly of W. Henrietta, NY, passed away quietly in her home on Monday, October 14, 2019. She was born in Rochester, NY and was the youngest of three children. She was a lifelong resident of Rush-Henrietta, and was a dedicated educator for more than 28 years in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District.
She is predeceased by her parents George A. and Louise A. Miller, and sister, Mary Lou Miller. She is survived by her brother, George Robert Miller and wife Christine; their children and grandchildren, Michelle Louise Miller—Seana Catherman, William Sende, Teague Vreeland; George Paul Miller and former wife, Jacquelyn Ann Miller, who was family all the same—Ashley Miller and fiancee Vasken Xhaxhollari, and Kelly Miller; and Martin John Miller and wife, Shannon Beikirch Miller—Lorelei and Christian Miller.
There will be no prior calling hours. A Catholic Funeral Mass will celebrate her life on Monday, October 28th, 10:00am at St. Joseph’s Church, Rush, NY. A private burial service will immediately follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Sisters of St. Joseph Click HERE to Donate or the School of the Holy Childhood Click HERE to Donate
Anne Marie grew up on a dairy farm in West Henrietta, NY. She lived in a cobblestone farmhouse built in 1823 with her mother, father, and two older siblings. This was home for most of her life, child to adult. She moved to Rush, NY in 2003. Living on a farm provided something to do no matter what time of the year. “When we were little kids, Dad would bring fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and fresh poultry to customers in Rochester.” Summer family picnics at the parks in Letchworth, Stoneybrook, Lake Ontario, Hamlin Beach, Mendon Ponds, and Canandaigua were special times together. “It was a busy fun-filled life with learning something new each day.” She attended Holy Family School for grades 1-4, and lived with her grandparents during the week in Rochester, she returned home on the farm on the weekends. Her father wanted his children to have a Catholic education and there were no Catholic schools in or near West Henrietta. She attended St. Anne’s School, for grades 6-8, and graduated from the newly built St. Agnes High School on East River Road in 1957.
For her undergraduate studies, Anne Marie attended Nazareth College of Rochester, which at the time was a young woman’s Catholic Liberal Arts College. She graduated with a BA in Sociology in 1961. Her brother drove to her to Nazareth while he attended St. John Fisher College. “It was great riding in his old Chevy watching the road pass under my feet as his floorboards had rusted out.” She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a MSEd on Super Bowl Sunday, 1970. “The great thing was that my team, the Green Bay Packers, won! Best graduation ever!” Anne Marie was granted a leave of absence for a full year from Rush-Henrietta to complete the degree requirements for a CAS (certificate of advanced study in administration and supervision). “Starting the full time CAS program of 9 students, and being the only female in the class, it was clearly stated during the first class by the professor that women never made good administrators or supervisors. With each class I had to really excel beyond what the men were doing. I accepted the challenge and learned a great deal as a result of this experience. The work ethic never wanes.” At the culmination of her education, Anne Marie finished with an EdD, (abd) Doctorate in Education. “I didn’t want to spend years of writing the dissertation when it would remove me further from teaching and would have little relevance to helping others to become all they could be. Teaching and learning were my modus operandi.”
Anne Marie described the beginning of her teaching career, “I started teaching at the age of 4 when I’d gather my dolls and teach them the alphabet, how to count, read, and print. I then decided to do the same with more difficult students, our pet dogs and cats. They were difficult to discipline and rarely paid attention. Great preparation for what might lie ahead.”
After completing her BA, Anne Marie was a lay teacher in her local parish, St. Ann’s, from September 1961 to June 1967. “I applied and was hired at $3000/year. During the summer I attended Nazareth College taking education courses. The most fun day was when my classes came to visit a real working farm towards the end of the school year.” She was hired at Rush-Henrietta and taught at the Sherman School for most of her 28.5 years. “There wasn’t a 5th grade opening, but a third grade teacher was needed. I loved teaching third grade.” Anne Marie recounted taking her 3 hour written comprehensive exam for her Masters degree, “I completed the paperwork and was registered to take the exam during the middle of summer session. Coincidentally it was the same day that Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon.”
In her capacity as an administrator, Anne Marie became a Reading Resource Teacher. “It wasn’t easy for me to return in a role that was administrative and supervisory. I had many close friends at Sherman, but was welcomed back with open arms.” Anne Marie wrote about a new teaching device introduced in the early 1980s, “The good old very first Apple computers were introduced into the district. I was asked if I’d be willing to try it out. I’d turn it on and it would stare back at me. I learned the basics of programming and spent hours making programs to make life easier for my staff and myself. It was a great way to continue to learn something new each day.”
A professional connection to Nazareth College brought her back as an Adjunct Professor of Graduate Studies in Reading Education. “My wacky sense of humor was appreciated by many of my graduate students but of course there were always a few that determined I was having too much fun teaching the class. If you can’t love what you’re doing and brighten someone’s day, please don’t enter my classroom.” She ended her official teaching career at Nazareth in 2002. Anne Marie was a Member of National Educators Association (NEA) and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), she was the first female elected to the SUNY Geneseo fraternity of Phi Delta Kappa, and was also elected to Delta Kappa Gamma, the Rochester educational sorority. In the mid 1980’s, she was included in the “Who’s Who Book of National Professional Educators,” and in 1984 she was elected New York State Reading Teacher of the Year. Apples, in many forms, were a theme in Anne Marie’s life, she received them as gifts from students, as special teaching awards, and she considered herself “The queen of Apple products.”
An avid adventurer, Anne Marie traveled to many parts of the world for educational purposes and also to explore with friends and family. She presented in Perth, Australia and in Beijing, she learned about a new reading program called “First Steps” in New Zealand and Australia, and she traveled with educators to Scandinavia and the Soviet Union in 1989, during the Cold War. Travels for pleasure included: a Heart of Europe tour, Italy, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Great Britain, Amsterdam, Norway, Finland, Australia,Tahiti, Fiji, Bora Bora, the Canadian cities of Vancouver, Victoria, Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, the US Virgin Islands, many of the US states, and several cruises including Disney and Alaska.
Anne Marie touched many hearts over the years, and recently found a great support in the friendship of Patricia S. Farrell, “A very caring, concerned, loving ‘sister’ who was my first sewing mentor and later became a very helpful person to turn to, sharing many jokes and commiserating over the joys and sorrows that living a long life brings.” She maintained close contact with many teacher friends from her days at Rush-Henrietta and from Nazareth College. She also met regularly with a small group from WXXI who traveled to Italy together. She had a regular quilting group who continued to meet after her sister, Mary Lou, passed away. Anne Marie was also involved in the parish of St. Joseph’s Church in Rush. She served as a lector, Eucharistic Minister, Parish Council member and also president for four years, and she sang in the choir. Anne Marie’s faith continued to support her throughout her life, she made a point to attend Mass no matter where she was in the world.
In her final years, Anne Marie enjoyed the support from her family, she highlighted, “A special thanks to Jackie who was always first to help, beginning when the aunts were alive. Since then, she, Ashley, and Kelly have faithfully looked after me. They have given me excellent support and encouragement.” Anne Marie was a tenacious family advocate, and was always there to help in any way she was able. We will miss her wit, humor, zest for life, and the love she provided to those whose lives she brightened with her smile.