Bruce Wallace Miller

Our Beloved Dad, Bruce Wallace Miller of Boxford, MA, left this world far too early for everyone who loved him. Dad passed away quietly at Salem Hospital on December 17, 2022, at the age of 90, with loving family at his side. Born in Beverly, MA on May 17, 1932, to the late Harriet Bell (Varney) Miller and John Asbury Miller, he grew up in Beverly and graduated from Beverly High School in 1951. While in school, he worked at Henry’s Market (which is still thriving today) and sold refreshments at the North Shore Music Theater during the summers. One day the actress
Paulette Goddard arrived in a helicopter that landed on the front lawn of the theatre. Dad took several photos of her. She picked out her favorite photo and autographed it for Dad, which he still had 75 years later. Dad also helped his father John with his photography and post-card business that featured Beverly landmarks such as the Cabot Mansion, the Balch House, the Hospital Point Lighthouse and the Baptist Church Steeple.
Dad was civic minded from a very young age. In his teens, he volunteered with the Civil Defense Council of Beverly to set up a short-wave radio system for emergency use. He continued this love of radio for the rest of his life and was an avid ham radio listener until he passed. One of Dad’s first jobs was as a surveyor for the City of Beverly, where he helped to create a baseball field that is still in use today. He then worked for the United Shoe, while attending the Northeastern University School of Engineering.
Dad fell in love with a beautiful nursing student from Salem, Barbara Helen Delpero. They married in 1956, and settled in Salem, MA, where they lovingly raised their family of five, before moving to their new home in Georgetown, MA in 1979, and then to Boxford, MA in 2012.
After leaving the United Shoe, Dad worked at Raytheon, then took a position at ITEK Corporation in Lexington, MA, where he worked for several decades in technical writing for satellite camera systems and optical disc technology. He was very proud of his work at ITEK.
Dad adored his family and was always there to help us with our homework, teach us sports and hobbies, and encourage us in our personal interests. He was multi-talented, and built our cribs,
highchairs, and toys (including a fire station!!), transformed our basement into an exciting playroom, hand-built a fireplace, and created a stone patio which doubled as an ice-skating rink in the winter. He built detailed model ships, and taught us to fish, camp, target practice, operate a boat, play the guitar, wire lamps, meditate, and identify constellations in the sky. Dad was an avid reader, and his interests spanned everything from modern physics, to astronomy, history, poetry, philosophy, natural sciences, nautical science and humor. We loved to trade books with him, as this would be followed by lengthy, animated discussions on the topic at hand. He helped us build self-confidence and took great pride in our achievements.
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Dad continued his community involvement after moving his family to Georgetown and was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Mary’s Church, and volunteered at Camp Dennison.
Dad was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. Everyone who had the good fortune to know and to love Dad, described him as “kind, compassionate, loving, fun, smart, creative, insightful”.

Dad was a very special man, a true gem on this planet. He was pre-deceased by his Beloved wife Barbara (Delpero) Miller, whom he was married to for 63 years. Dad is survived by his five children, Kathleen, John, Mary, Paul and Susan Miller; his daughters-in-law, Deb and Mary Miller, his sons-in-law Max Schenk and Mike Mcallister; his six grandchildren, Takao Miller, Naomi Miller,
Kaya (Miller) Ryan, Sarah (Miller) Lauretti, Jason Miller and Anthony Miller and his grandchildren's spouses, Patrick Ryan and Christopher Lauretti.

We will be looking for you in the stars Dad.
 

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