Obituary of Walter N. Miller

Walter N. Miller, 81, of Essex, CT died October 22, 2011 at Yale-New Haven Hospital of complications due to congestive heart failure. He was born November 26, 1929 in New York, NY, the only child of the late Morton and Kathryn (Gersten) Miller, and was the loving and devoted husband of Nancy (Clapp) Miller for 57 years. After graduating from Fieldston School in New York, NY in 1947, he attended Swarthmore College where he graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics in 1951.Starting in 1951, Walter worked as an actuary at New York Life Insurance Company in New York, NY where he held a succession of management and executive positions before retiring in 1986 as a senior vice president. In 1986, he joined Prudential Insurance Company in Newark, NJ as a senior vice president and chief actuary for Prudential Preferred Financial Services. He retired from Prudential in 1994. He was active in the insurance industry with memberships and leadership roles in the Society of Actuaries (former director), American Academy of Actuaries (former director and vice president), and Actuarial Standards Board (former chairman). He was a contributing author of several professional articles including Analysis of Actuarial Theory for Variable Life Insurance, published in 1969. He was also the recipient of Prudential Insurance Company's prestigious Chairman's Award for Excellence in Innovation in 2000.Walter resided with his family in Rye, NY for 23 years and Wyckoff, NJ for 14 years, before retiring to Essex, CT. He also spent wonderful summers in Madison CT, which became, and remains a beloved family gathering spot. He was a devoted and long-suffering sports fan, passionately following the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Giants, win or lose. His other interests included championship bridge, flying airplanes (he got his pilot's license in his 40's), and music (especially bluegrass and jazz). Walter enjoyed extensive travel with his wife, Nancy, to Europe and the Caribbean, especially taking boating trips with her and close friends. In retirement he was a member of the Estuary Council of Seniors in Old Saybrook, CT serving as Board Chair.Besides his wife, he is survived by his cherished children Scott (Cathy) of Seattle, WA, Timothy (Paula) of Mount Pleasant, SC, David of Burlington, VT, Kathryn Wallace (Peter) of Madison, CT and Amy Tully (Guy) of Marblehead, MA. He also leaves five grandchildren, Colin and Liam Wallace, Paris and Reid Tully and Colby Miller for whom he always had a bear hug and a smile.