George James Miller, 92, of Newtown, passed away peacefully on April 17, 2024, at home.

George was born on August 4, 1931, to George Miller and Margaret Jordan. He grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., and attended Holy Rosary Elementary School, then St Denis where he learned to play basketball. He attended Hawthorn Junior High School, and his team won the basketball championship that year.

For the remaining years of high school, he attended Saunders trade school and was president of the senior class. George received a gold medal for being an outstanding student and competed in the city basketball championships at Saunders and won yet again.

George attended Manhattan College and won a full four-year basketball scholarship — he was selected as one of five scholarship athletes out of a pool of 80 trying out. George met his first wife, Elizabeth, while attending Manhattan College. Together, they had nine children over the course of 12 years.

In 1954, George was awarded a scholarship in physical therapy at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was a member of the US Naval Reserves.

Following graduation from Columbia, he worked at Mt Sinai Hospital as a staff physical therapist. Seeing his patients’ need for affordable PT equipment, he decided to start a company of his own. G.E. Miller was born to provide the affordable equipment his patients needed. George traveled around the nation exhibiting and demonstrating his product and filled a niche in rehabilitation equipment for the next 51 years.

Fishing and celebrating the day’s catch was one of George’s many passions. He loved sharking, spending time on the water with his family, and hosting big dinners with friends. George had many boats throughout his fishing career and named them after his family — a reminder that his crew was always with him no matter where he was on the ocean.

He taught his kids how to fish offshore and would wake them early each morning to get the rigs ready and head to the bait store for a full day out on the water. He took his boats through Shinnecock inlet and into West Tiana Bay to his boat slip at Colonial Shores in Hampton Bays. Their summers’ catch would fill freezers to last through the winters in Westchester. It brought him such joy that several of his children carried on his fishing tradition with their own families.

Gardening was another passion for George, and he was part of The Horticulture Club of Newtown for over a decade. In the winter, he would bring all his plants inside and created a tropical oasis.

He also volunteered his time at his church parishes: planting trees, landscaping and painting at the various churches in his life as well coaching basketball youth teams. He made himself available wherever anyone needed a helping hand.

Always interested in the latest technology in healing therapies, George later became board-certified in pain management from American Academy of Pain Medicine and treated people in the community as well as his existing patients. George was a healer and loved the ability to take pain away from his patients and make them smile. He treated athletes, performing artists, family, and friends and people often reached out to him to help them feel better. He worked miracles.

George loved spending time with his many friends in Yorktown, Ossining, and Newtown. He loved his pick-up basketball games at the local elementary school, dance parties and get togethers but nothing compared to the love he shared with Shane. The two met and fell in love and married in 1979. Life with Shane was a grand adventure, especially with their combined 12 children. Their love of the ocean and being outdoors was their life.

George, whose faith formed the foundation of his life, was a parishioner of St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown. Prior to his move to Newtown, George was a devoted parishioner of St Theresa church in Ossining, N.Y. In the summers, he and his family attended church on Shelter Island.

He is survived by his wife, Shane E. (McDonald) Miller, who he loved immensely and who greatly loved him. He will also be missed by his children Liz, Maureen, Barbara, Mary Lou, George, Michael, William, Gerard, and Kathleen and devoted stepchildren Kelly, Jeffrey, and Erin. He leaves behind his 17 grandchildren and his beloved dog Scout.

He was predeceased by his brother Robert “Bobby” Miller.

Visitation is at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street in Newtown, on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 7 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, April 26, at 10:30 am, at St Rose of Lima, 46 Church Hill Road in Newtown. He will be buried in Newtown Village Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Newtown Hook &Ladder, 12 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470 (newtownhookandladder.com/).