Obituary of Harriet Edith Miller

Harriet Edith Miller died on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2013, in her home with family members present. Born May 5, 1930 in Lake Placid, Harriet was a lifelong resident of Lake Placid and the only child of Irene Jacques Miller and Frederick Milo Miller. Her mother was a public schoolteacher for more than 40 years and died in 1982. Her father, who built boats for Lozier Boats Company and taught at Plattsburgh Normal School, died in 1947. As a child, Harriet spent much of her time on her grandparents' farm in Wilmington, with cousins, aunts and uncles. She had a very close bond with her father, who was a well-known boat-builder in the area. She spoke of him and his influence on her many times throughout her life. Harriet was very close to both her parents and grandparents and talked about them right up to weeks before she died. Harriet is survived by her eight children: Paul Gallo Jr., Steven Gallo Sr., Bernadette Hanrahan (Terence) and William Thompson (Samantha) all of Lake Placid; as well as Frederick Lee Gallo of Saranac Lake, Nicolas Gallo of Massena, Bella Doolittle (William) of Glens Falls and Anthony Gallo (Mary) of Kansas City, MO. She is survived also by her grandchildren: Cindy and Bonnie Gallo, both of Seoul, S. Korea; Carrie and Darcy Gallo of Saranac Lake; Steven Gallo Jr. of Fort Edward, NY; Justin (Shannon) Gallo of Troy; Samantha Peets, Ben Gallo, Nicole Gallo and Josh Gallo, all of Tupper Lake; Travis Madden, Zoe Doolittle and Tam Doolittle, all of Glens Falls, NY; and Virginia Madden of Charlestown, Mass.; Emma and Ella Hanrahan and Tiernan Thompson, all of Lake Placid. Harriet had over a dozen great grandchildren. She is also survived by her beloved dog Pac. Harriet loved people, and she enjoyed working in the hospitality business, which allowed her to meet and get to know people from all over the area, country and world. Harriet loved the North Country and spent many of her retirement years traveling all through the area with her dogs in tow. After retiring from her job as a hotel night auditor, she converted her home into rental apartments, which gave her the opportunity to meet new people and create new friendships. When Harriet entered the room, you knew where she stood on any situation. She loved politics and discussing the issues of the day. She had a tremendous imagination and a stellar memory, although sometimes she would pretend she didn't. Harriet felt strongly that all people have the right to equal treatment, regardless of their social status, nationality, religion, color, ethnicity or sexual orientation. She was most devoted to her many dogs, whom she treasured above all else. Harriet was a strong woman who lived her life exactly as she wanted to, never conforming to convention, always following her own path, even if it was not the easiest or most popular. She was not afraid to speak her mind even at the risk of offending. She was smart and hardworking and she will be missed. There will be a memorial service for Harriet on Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. in St. Agnes Church in Lake Placid, with a reception to follow immediately at Bernadette Hanrahan's house on Cummings Road in Lake Placid. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Tri Lakes Humane Society. The M. B. Clark, Inc. Funeral Home in Lake Placid, NY is in charge of arrangements. Relatives and friends are invited to leave online condolences at www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com .