Maureen L. Miller

August 7, 2023

Maureen Lucille Miller, age 81, of Brooks Estates in Pittston was called home to God on Monday evening, August 7, 2023, following a brief battle with lymphoma.

Maureen was born in Wilkes-Barre on August 25, 1941, the eldest child of Cecilia (Devaney) and Lewis James.   She grew up in the East End section of Wilkes-Barre with her younger brothers Edward (Ned) James and Daniel (Buzz) James.  She excelled in school and graduated from James M. Coughlin High School in 1959.   Maureen continued her education at the Wilkes-Barre Business School, earning her secretarial degree in 1961.

She would put her administrative skills to excellent use with secretarial positions at the Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company, Stroud’s Catalog Store, WBRE TV and Allied Services Home Health at the John Heinz Institute in Wilkes-Barre.

On December 7, 1963, she married her high school sweetheart (and spouse of 52 years) Ronald M. Miller at Holy Savior Church in East End.   To stay near to her family, they purchased a 100-year-old house on Scott Street and started their family two years later with the birth of her oldest child, Kevin Miller, followed by her middle son, Kenneth Miller, and then daughter, Patricia (Miller) McEnery.

Maureen’s life was graced with the abundant love of her family and many, many friends.  She would always stop to chat with a friend, neighbor, or soon-to-be-friend on her daily walks with her beloved Shizu, Toby Keith.  She always enjoyed long chats on the phone with “Aunt” Ellen Check and her sisters-in-law, Veronica James, and Deborah Miller.   When not trying her luck at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Maureen found great fun in playing cards with her friends at Wesley Village or enjoying laughter-filled lunches with her girlfriends from Mountaintop and Nanticoke.

Creative and skillful with her hands, Maureen started quilting and made many beautiful quilts and wall hangings for her home and her family.   She had a green thumb with her plants, loved watching Notre Dame Football, and took great pride in her delicious cranberry cake.  However, she was by far, most proud of her children and beamed with love and pride when Kevin took his vows to the priesthood in 2020; Ken made her a delighted grandmother to three wonderful grandchildren Amanda Miller, Joy Miller, and Joseph Miller; and Patti completed her doctoral degree in education.

A life-long devout Catholic, Maureen was a member of Holy Savior Parish in Wilkes-Barre, St. Jude’s Parish in Mountaintop, and St. Maria Goretti Parish in Laflin.   Her work in life completed, God called her home to join her parents, husband Ronald, brothers Ned and Buzz, sister-in-law Diane James, and brother-in-law Ronald Miller, in heaven.

She will be dearly missed by her 3 children, 3 grandchildren, her adored daughter-in-law, Anne (Laskowski) Miller, her beloved son-in-law, Sean McEnery, and her four nieces, Connie Krolikowski,

DeeDee Ashford, Evelyn James, and Celeste James; and four nephews, Jeff James, Barrett James, Brian Miller, and Michael Miller.

Visitation for friends and family will be held from 9:00 am – 10:30 am on Friday, August 18, 2023, at St. Maria Goretti Church, 42 Redwood Drive, Laflin, PA  18702, immediately followed by a funeral Mass celebrated by her son, Fr. Kevin Miller.   The Parish Rosary Group will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary in the Church 30 minutes before the Mass. All are invited to attend.

Arrangements entrusted to the Corcoran Funeral Home, Inc., 20 South Main Street, Plains, PA  18705.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Maureen’s memory to St. Jude Children´s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or by visiting www.stjude.org (Maureen’s favorite charity).