Arthur P. Miller Jr., 84

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Arthur P. Miller Jr., 84, of Farnsworth Terrace in Pittsfield, passed away on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at Craneville Place of Dalton.

Born on November 12, 1931, in Pittsburgh, Pa., he was the son of the late Arthur P. Miller Sr. and the late Margaret Madden Miller. He was educated in Pittsburgh and Pleasantville, N.J., schools. After his father died in 1940, a young Art left school and entered the school of hard knocks early to help take care of his partially blind mother and help care for his sister.

Art and his family moved to Dalton in the early 1940s. Art proudly served his country during the Korean War in the United States Navy aboard the USS Coral Sea. He married his wife, the late Barbara Wendling Miller on October 5, 1951. She died on May 28, 2011.

Art was employed as a papermaker for forty years at Crane & Company in Dalton, working many jobs during his career. He retired as a mill supervisor in 1992. While at Crane's, he was a member of a team responsible for the startup and operation of Crane's Wahconah Currency Mill in 1974. He had also worked at the former Crane Inn at one time.

He was a communicant of St. Agnes Church and a member of the A.J. DeAngelus Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Dalton and the Benjamin F. Sullivan American Legion Post #155 in Dalton. Art enjoyed cooking, hunting and target shooting. A firearms expert, he held gun safety classes for various police departments and security agencies throughout Massachusetts.

Art's warm-hearted, affable demeanor enabled him to make many friends along the way. He loved listening to and telling many stories covering a vast array of subjects. He enjoyed his bartending duties at the American Legion and VFW, listening and offering what advice he could to the patrons and making sure everyone was enjoying themselves.
Art loved being with his family, leaving behind his two daughters, Pamela J. Cavanaugh and her husband David of Pittsfield and Julie M. LeBlanc and her husband Thomas of Dalton; a son, Arthur P. Miller III and his wife Christina of Dalton; his sister, Patricia Fleming and her husband Paul of Reading, Mass.; 13 loving grandchildren, Nicholas Miller, Kaitlyn Miller, Alyce Miller, Kristina Ahearn, Ryan Cavanaugh, Lauren Miller, Emily Miller, Cody Miller, Theresa Miller, Mark Gaylord, Tristan Gaylord, Jennifer Gaylord and Justine Campbell; six great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews and his lifelong friends; his brother-in-law; William Dumas of Dalton, William and Lupe Shields, along with many friends and family in the Pittsburgh area.

He was predeceased by a son, Kevin L. Miller, who died September 8, 2015; and by his sisters, Nancy Dumas and Patricia Miller.

Many hearts are saddened, but full as well, from the beauty of his friendship. He was truly a testament to a life well lived and a life well loved. ".....and so goes the story of Peter McGlory......." The family would like to extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to all the friends, physicians, nurses, nurses' aides, therapists, caregivers, and the many support staffs involved with Art's care during the final months of his life. Also thanks and gratitude to the wonderful nurses and support staff at Craneville Place of Dalton involved in Art's care during his final days for their compassion, dedication and professionalism .

Funeral notice: Funeral services for Arthur P. Miller Jr., who passed away August 23, 2016, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, at 9:15 a.m. from the Dery-Foley Funeral Home in Dalton followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes Church celebrated by the Rev. Christopher Malatesta, pastor. Burial with full military honors will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield.

Calling hours will be held Monday, Aug. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home in Dalton. Memorial donations in memory of Art may be made to St. Agnes Church or to St. Jude's Children's Hospital both in care of the funeral home, 890 Main St. Dalton, MA 01226.