Aileen “Clara” Miller passed away peacefully at Bristol Glen on July 8 at the wonderful age of 106. She lived a beautiful life and enjoyed good health until her passing from natural causes. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY on April 19, 1914, Clara was predeceased by her husband, John Joseph Miller; her parents, Alfred and Clara (Hofstetter) Parker and her siblings; Muriel, Gertrude, Audrey,Dorothy and Alfred. She is survived by many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly, including Muriel Pazzaglia and Kerry Jean Moore of Sparta.
Clara and John left Brooklyn to continue their employment with A&P in Horseheads, N.Y.. Following the passing of her father and older sister, Muriel, she quit high school, borrowed her sister’s birth certificate and applied for a job at A&P to support her mother and siblings. At the time she was hired, Clara was only 14 years of age;her first job was “candy packer” in Brooklyn and she was compensated at 28 cents/hour. The secret of her age was safe for awhile but it was exposed about 8 years later when social security was introduced and she needed to share her true birth year. Tears began to flow and sadness overcame Clara because she knew she would be fired for lying on her application. Although there was no choice but to reprimand her for her actions, she was immediately rehired because of her exemplary work and support from her bosses. This proved to be a good result as Clara would spend 52 years with A&P before retiring; along the way she received several promotions, eventually becoming the payroll master for the company.
Following her retirement from A&P, she remained in Horseheads where she volunteered at a local nursing home. Upon turning 100 years old, Clara made the decision to relocate to Bristol Glen where she enjoyed her last years and received excellent and loving care.
Clara leaves a legacy of kindness and generosity and will be missed by several generations of family and friends. She enjoyed playing cards,dancing, and visiting Disney World with her three sisters. She was a quiet woman but her presence was always felt and she was strong in both her faith and convictions.
A private mass will be held to remember Clara at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Jefferson. She will then be reunited with her husband John at Pinelawn National Cemetery in Long Island, N.Y. Services were held privately under the direction of the Goble Funeral Home, Sparta, NJ