Clyde N. Miller

Clyde N. Miller, 91, of Vestal passed away at the Vestal Nursing Center, Monday, April 26, 2010. He was predeceased by his first wife Genevieve in 1980 and his second wife Marian in 2002. Clyde is survived by children, daughter and son in law Rhoda and Bernard Sheret, Vestal; a son Clyde R. Miller, Patchogue, Long Island and a daughter and son in law Deborah and Jose Ruco, Rockaway, NJ; grandchildren Lori and Randy Swartz, Windsor; James and Terena Sheret, Vestal and Vincent and Jennifer Watkins, Sayre, PA; great grandchildren, Randy and Jeremy Sheret; Jessica Zembek and Nicholas and Corey Swartz and a special friend and companion Muriel Carmon. About a year and a half after his marriage to Genevieve, Clyde was called into military service during W.W. II. He successfully completed tests for the Aviation Cadet Program and eventually became a ball-turret gunner, (commonly called a belly-gunner) on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Clyde completed thirty five flights over enemy territory, and was discharged with honors and citations, which included the Air Medal, with 3 Oak Clusters. He was the last surviving member of the ten man crew, required to fly a B-17 Fortress. After complete military service, he became an agent for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, serving thirteen small towns in Central-Upstate New York, calling at least once a month on families to collected premiums and completed their insurance programs as needed. Clyde enjoyed this activity very much and became quite close to many families, eventually becoming assistant manager in Binghamton, then moving on to serve in the home office in New York City, as a field training instructor, then supervisor. Next he was appointed as district manager of the Cohoes, NY office, which received national honors with the company for the first and only time in history. After that he was appointed district manager in Utica, NY and eventually to Endicott, with a sub-office in Sayre, PA, which made it one of the largest offices in Upstate New York. During this activity with Met Life, Clyde became a member of the 20 Year Club, where he was very active, (in addition to normal employment duties) and proceeded through local, regional and national positions, to become by secret ballot the national president of this 15,000 member organization. During his later years with Met Life, Clyde through home studies, prepared for a successful final exam at SUNY Binghamton to obtain his C.L.L. (Certified Life Underwriter) Designation, which was the highest field organization available at the time. After retiring from Met Life in 1979, Clyde immediately started a permanent part-time association with the Allen Memorial Home, where he served as bookkeeper and eventually office manager, retiring in January 2000, after 20 years of faithful service. A few years later, he moved to Castle Gardens Retirement Center, Vestal, where he enjoyed a number of comfortable years. During his years in Endicott, Clyde was a continuous volunteer chaperone for the Apalachin Junior Drum and Bugle Corp. and Past President and Treasurer of the Endicott Kiwanis Club. Clyde’s family would like to thank the staffs of Lourdes Hospice and the Vestal Nursing Center, for all their care and compassion shown him. Funeral Services will be held Friday 11 am from the Vestal United Methodist Church, 328 Main Street, Vestal, with the Reverend Mary Ricketts, Co-Pastor of his church officiating. Burial will be in Vestal Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, Thursday from 2-4 and evening 7-9 pm. Expressions of sympathy in his memory may be made to the Vestal United Methodist Church.