Obituary of Irwin J. Miller

Irwin J. Miller died on Saturday, July 6, 2019, in Norwalk, Connecticut.  He was born on February 19, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, to Bertha and Philip Miller. Irwin and his wife of 71 years, Vivian Berger Miller, moved to Stamford, Connecticut in 1960 and raised their family there.

Irwin is also survived by his four children Laura Lewis, Arthur (Lauren) Miller, Glenn (Sandra) Miller, and Barbara (Elon) Mileikowsky.  He had 10 grandchildren: Michael Lewis and Courtney Lewis (Mike) Hessberger, Sam Miller and Will Miller, Ashley Miller, Brittany Miller, and Demi Miller, and Adam (Jennifer) Mileikowsky, Joshua Mileikowsky, and Ari Mileikowsky. Irwin also had six great grandchildren, Declan, Grady, LilyAnn, Zoey, Sloane, and Spencer.

Irwin was predeceased by his mother Bertha Pincas Miller, father Philip Miller, brother Gilbert Miller, sister Lillian Miller Mars, and son-in-law Frank Lewis.

Irwin graduated from Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943.  In 1944 during World War II, after pestering the draft board, his number finally came up and he was drafted into the Navy. He was stationed in the Pacific where he was a Signalman on the USS Kershaw, and discharged in May 1946. He was an owner of Gilbert E. Miller Associates, a manufacturer’s sales rep of audio equipment. Being a historian at heart, Irwin was a founding member and first President of the Jewish Historical Society of Stamford*, started in 1982.  He took tour groups into New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. He also co-wrote The Jewish Communities of Greater Stamford with Linda Baulsir published in 2002. His passions were American Jewish history, genealogy, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Funeral services will be privately held.  A Memorial Service will take place at 3:45 p.m. Monday, July 8, at the Gallagher Funeral Home at 453 Shippan Avenue, Stamford.

Shiva will be held from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at Barbara and Elon Mileikowsky’s apartment at 1 Strawberry Hill Avenue, Apt. 4E, Stamford.  Sign in with the doorman for limited parking in the garage.

Memorial donations may be made in Irwin’s name to the *Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County (1035 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT  06905), the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, or Maplewood HEART Foundation (1 Gorham Island, Westport, CT 06880).