Edna M. Miller

Edna M. Miller, age 96, of Fairfield, beloved wife of the late Robert J. Miller, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family in the early hours of January 1, 2020. Born in Bridgeport, the daughter of the late Joseph and Edna (Davis) Waters, she had been a Fairfield resident for 70 years. A graduate of The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall, she received her teaching degree from Danbury State Teachers College and a Masters and Sixth Year Certificate from the University of Bridgeport. Edna taught at Long Hill School in Trumbull for two years prior to her marriage to Bob and raising her 7 children. She returned to teaching in 1968 for the City of Bridgeport as a remedial reading teacher for numerous schools, and was proud to have had a positive impact on many students over her career. Following her retirement, Edna's love for education would continue when she became one of the first volunteer teachers at Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, teaching into her 90's. She was honored by Mercy Learning Center in 2007 as the recipient of the Key Philanthropic Contributors Award and the Educational Leadership Award. Edna was a devout Roman Catholic and an active 69-year member and daily communicant at St. Thomas Aquinas Church where she was currently a Trustee, a member of the Ladies Guild and an active volunteer for many church activities over the years. Edna served on the Fairfield Catholic School Board for many years. She was a devoted supporter of her alma mater, Lauralton Hall and was very proud to have educated her five daughters and delighted to see five of her granddaughters graduate. She was honored by Lauralton Hall by being in the first group of recipients of the Mother Mary Augustine Claven Award in 1980. She enjoyed volunteering as a "cuddler" for the Bridgeport Hospital Newborn ICU where she would often bake her famous cookies for the dedicated staff and parents. While an active volunteer, Edna's greatest joy was spending time with her loving family and dancing with the love of her life, Bob. She will be dearly missed by her seven loving children, Johanne E. Hagan and her husband, Michael of Fairfield, Robert J. Miller, Jr. and his wife Elise of Bangor, ME, Patricia A. Miller, Capt., USN (ret.) of New Bern, NC, Katherine M. Chimini and her husband Robert of Stratford, Jane M. Laufer and her husband, Dan of Seymour, TN, Laura M. Casale and her husband, Timothy of Fairfield and Richard J. Miller and his wife Betsy Browne Miller of Fairfield; fourteen grandchildren, Jennifer, Rob, Matthew, Matt, Sarah, Christopher, Kara, Jaime, Michael, Sarah, Melissa, Shannon, Rose and Sean; a sister-in-law, Emma Tomas of Trumbull, 17 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, January 6, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Fairfield. Interment will follow in St. Thomas Cemetery, Fairfield. Friends may greet the family Sunday from 2-7 p.m. in the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield. In lieu of flowers contributions in memory of Edna may be made to Mercy Learning Center, 637 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1719 Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. For information or to offer an online condolence please visit www.SpearFuneralHome.com