Maureen Miller, 77, of Tampa, passed away on July 22, 2021 surrounded by her daughters, Tracey and Sharon. She was a devoted wife of 48 years to Bill, who passed away in 2017. Maureen and Bill enjoyed traveling extensively during their retirement years and Maureen enjoyed spending time with her family, volunteering and reading. She is survived by her daughters, Tracey Gaertner (Nelton) and Sharon Mack (Phil) and her five grandchildren, Kiely, Jack, Emily, Morgan and Ryan.
Originally from Bayshore, New York, Maureen - the only child of Florence and William Kiely - joined the Sisters of Mercy after high school and taught elementary school in New York City. After leaving the Order, she remained a devout Catholic and became a flight attendant for Pan Am Airlines. She then met the love of her life, Bill Miller. They married in 1969 and raised two daughters. When Bill was transferred to Tampa, Florida with IBM in 1981, Maureen became a preschool teacher at St. Paul Catholic Church. She soon became the Preschool Director and continued to serve St. Paul’s families as Preschool Director for more than 20 years. After her retirement, she was a dedicated volunteer as a eucharistic minister at St. Joseph Hospital North and continued to be an active parishioner and volunteer at St Paul Catholic Church..
Maureen was well known for her kindheartedness, emotional strength, unique sense of humor and enduring love of animals. She made friends easily and most of her friendships were lifelong. She strove to make others feel comfortable and always put the needs of others before her own.
Her greatest gifts in life were her two daughters and five grandchildren. Maureen cherished her role as a mother and grandmother and stayed closely connected with her family even as they spread out across the country. She radiated joy in their presence.
Maureen will be dearly missed by her family, her fellow St Paul’s parishioners, her neighbors, colleagues and friends.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 29, from 1:30-2:30 p.m., at St. Paul Catholic Church, Carrollwood. The Funeral Mass will follow the visitation on July 29 at 2:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Paul Catholic Pre-School 12708 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa FL 33618.
Maureen will be laid to rest beside her husband at Florida National Cemetery at a later date.
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