Catherine Gerhardt Miller

Catherine Gerhardt Miller, age 55, of Bloomfield, NJ passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 13, 2022 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Cathy was born in New Rochelle, NY.  Her family lived there for a few years then relocated to Charleston, SC.  They later moved to Chicago for a short time then to Kinnelon, NJ.  While living in Kinnelon, Cathy attended Kinnelon High School where she excelled in sports, particularly swimming.  She was a competitive swimmer- summers on Fayson Lakes Swim Team and winters on the high school team. She graduated with the class of 1985.

Following her high school graduation, Cathy enrolled at Bentley University in Massachusetts where she studied marketing.  In 1989, Cathy earned her bachelor’s degree.  Cathy found work quickly after leaving school with Bloomingdale’s.  She worked for Bloomingdales for several years where she made wonderfully close friends.  After a few years at Bloomingdale’s, Cathy worked in Real Estate for a time. Cathy left the Real Estate industry to pursue a career in Child Care.  She worked in the private sector of Child Care for about five years when her illness forced her to stop working in 2019.  Child Care was work that Cathy truly treasured.

In 1992, while working at Bloomingdale’s, Cathy was introduced to a handsome young man by the name of John Miller.  Cathy and John hit it off great and started dating.  The couple dated for about a year and as fate would have it, they fell in love and became husband and wife on September 11, 1993.  After getting married the newlyweds settled in Cranford, NJ.  While living in Cranford, Cathy and John welcomed the births of all four of their children, Nicole, Austin, Erika, and Ian.  In 2001 the family moved to Westfield where they remained until 2008.  Cathy and her family then moved to Kinnelon where they resided until 2010.  Cathy, John, and their children eventually moved back to Westfield where they stayed until 2020.

Cathy was a truly devoted mother and was a member of the Parent Teacher Organization while her children were growing up.  Cathy and her family enjoyed traveling domestically throughout the United States as well as other destinations such as the Cayman Islands.  They cherished their summer family vacations at Huletts Landing in the Lake George area of New York State where they relished boating, picnicking, and made life-long friends.

It was clear that Cathy’s true passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Cathy than providing for and spending time with her husband and her children.  Cathy and her husband John cherished twenty-seven years of a loving marriage together until John’s passing in November of 2020.  She was sweet, kind, and funny.  She made friends wherever she went and could light up any room she walked into with her bright smile and her unforgettable laugh.  Cathy touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by all her family and friends.

Cathy is survived by her four children; Nicole Miller of Pawtucket, RI, Austin Miller of Bloomfield, NJ, Erika Miller of Morristown, NJ, and Ian Miller of Montclair, NJ, two sisters; Juliana Amell and her husband Greg of Charleston, SC, and Ashley Stuckey and her husband Scott of Charleston, SC, her father Donald Gerhardt of Charleston, SC, two cousins, Samantha Tinampay, and Kimberly Cercena, and her very close friends; Chrissy Yule, Joanie Curley, Maria Nephew, and Pamala Fernot.  She was predeceased by her mother Ilona Brown in 2020.
Donations in Cathy’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, National Processing Center Alzheimer’s Association, Greater NJ Chapter PO Box 96011 Washington DC 20090 www.alz.org would be greatly appreciated.