Middle Grove, NY- George William Miller was born on August 19, 1952 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, the first son of the late Mary Elizabeth Radle and the late Thomas Moreland Miller.   The family settled in Wayland, Massachusetts, where George attended Wayland High School and was active in sports, particularly track and field.  He was also involved in Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout in 1968.

After graduating from Salem State College in 1974, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he met Cathy Peterson, who would become his wife.  They married on August 21, 1976, and this proved to be the best decision George would ever make.  Cathy was his anchor, and the family they made together – their son Bill and their daughter Kelly – made every new place feel immediately like home, no matter where they were.

George worked 24 years for JCPenney, and during that time, he and Cathy moved 7 times.  In 1994, when JCPenney transferred them to Saratoga Springs, George fell in love with Upstate New York.  He left JCPenney and started working for the outdoor store Eastern Mountain Sports, which he proclaimed "the best job ever."  George loved the outdoors, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking.  He climbed all 46 of the high peaks in the Adirondacks; his father and brother accompanied him on his first high peak, Giant, and the last one, Hough (#5389).

George biked the PanMass Challenge three consecutive years (1992,1993, 1994) to raise money for cancer research.  In 2019, after a 25 year gap and six years after his own diagnosis, he rode again as part of Team #FU17p.  As he wrote, "I join my daughter (2015 rider) in attempting the ride again. When training gets hard, and the hills get steep, I compare what I have been through so far and realize the hills are nothing when compared to fighting cancer."

Despite all the hardships, George said repeatedly he would not change a thing.  His 2016 stem cell transplant gave him not just the gift of donor stem cells but also the gift of a second family.  Marcel Krebs, his donor, and all the Krebs became incredibly close to George's family, a connection that will last for generations to come, with trips between the US and Germany.

George believed in public service, and he was a member of the Middle Grove Volunteer Fire Company for 18 years.  Ten of those years, he led the fire company as its president, and he served two years on the Board of Fire Commissioners.  In 2016, George was awarded the Firefighter of the Year.

In all ways, George was a leader in bringing people together.  Every Miller Family reunion, he'd say, "No matter your name or how you got here, you're a Miller now.  We are family." Even in his last days, he was leading the extended Miller Family, asking them to set aside their political differences and focus on their love for each other.

George leaves behind his beloved wife Cathy; his children, Bill Miller (Dori) of Queensbury, NY and Kelly Miller (Blair Herdrick) of Malta, NY; his four grandchildren, Ryan Blanchard, Hannah Blanchard, Lizzy Miller, and Simon Miller, all of Queensbury NY; his brother, Douglas Miller (Becky Day) of Estes Park, CO; his sister, Emily Miller Mlcak of Stow, MA; his "twin" Marcel Krebs (Katherine) and the entire Krebs family of Ebershardt, Germany.

George William Miller died at his home on June 9, 2022, surrounded by his family.  He will be interred in Middle Grove Cemetery, close to the fire station, where, as he put it, he can hear the call.

Burial service will be at the Middle Grove Cemetery at 11:00AM on June 18, 2022. There will be a celebration of George's life at the Middle Grove Fire Department from 12-2PM.

Arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home, 628 N. Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Middle Grove Fire Company #3, P.O. Box 117, Middle Grove, NY 12850