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Obituary: Dennis Miller

Fri, Oct 13th 2017 06:30 pm
Dennis Miller, a longtime resident of Grand Island, died Oct. 7, 2017, at Elderwood at Wheatfield after a battle with Lewy body dementia. He was 77.
A celebration of his life will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1:30 p.m.
Dennis was a lay pastor, acquiring his first local preacher's license at 18. He studied to be a missionary, then turned to writing and a career at the Rockland County Journal News as an editor. He taught himself photography and color reproduction in preparation for newspapers to include color printing. When the newsprint supply crisis hit in the mid-1970s he matriculated to the Rochester Institute of Technology, graduating with a bachelor's degree in photography and a master's in printing technology. While completing his master's, he was an instructor of computers in RIT's School of Printing. He also patented the color process his master's thesis supported.
When commercializing his process did not gain market traction, he turned back to his first calling and became a lay speaker, then lay pastor in the Methodist Church WNY District.
In Dennis's later years, as he researched an idea for a science fiction novel, he also acquired an extensive library in physics and quantum mechanics. He never lost his interest in photography and writing and continued to do both until he was diagnosed with LBD.
Dennis was born June 30, 1940, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the son of Mable (Olsen) and Alfred Miller. The family moved to Nyack, New York, on the Hudson River in 1947 where Dennis attended school and graduated from Nyack High School.
He leaves behind his wife, Sherry (Taylor) Miller, daughter Samantha, and granddaughter, Kinsey Dailey.
Dennis was a middle son in a family of four. He is survived by brothers Alfred (Linda), R. Guy (Lynn); a sister, Susan (Dan) Lauffer; a nephew and five nieces, and their families.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY 14072. Arrangements by Kaiser Funeral Home.

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