1915 – 2004

HARWICH, Mass. – Helen Thorpe (Clark) Miller, 88, of Sturbridge Drive, South Orleans, Mass., died Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Rosewood Manor. She was the wife of the late Harry Sterrett Miller.

Mrs. Miller was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., May 15, 1915, to Walter William Clark and Mary Ellen “Nell” (Thorpe). She attended various schools in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and England for grades 1-3. She went to Moorestown (New Jersey) Friends School for grades 3-10 and then graduated from Bronxville (New York) High School. She spent one and a half years at the New York School of Interior Decoration and one and a half years at the Grand Central School of Art.

She worked for James McCreery & Co. in New York City, N.Y., from 1937-1938. She then worked for Anne Tilden-Decorator in New York City from 1939-1940. In 1941, she went to work for W. & J. Sloane in New York City. She was there until 1948.

On May 15, 1948, she married Harry Sterrett Miller. She continued to work part-time from 1948-1950, for W. & J. Sloane. For a short time, she worked for Ellinghouse & Andrews Real Estate Co., ending in 1954. Their daughter Susan was then born. Her life was filled with activities involving Sue, including Girl Scouts (being a Junior Scout leader), church activities and school functions. She was also involved in the Church Highland’s Woman’s Group and the White Plains Woman’s Club.

When retirement time came near for Harry, she began designing the home that they would have built for them on Cape Cod in South Orleans. In late summer of 1981, she and Harry moved into their new home and did most all of the finishing work themselves. Retirement brought many new activities for her, including ringing hand bells at the Federated Church of Orleans for over 15 years, volunteering at the Snow Library in Orleans, being a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for Cape Cod Community Hospital and the Woman’s Fellowship at the Orleans Federated Church.

Survivors include her daughter, Susan L. Conklin and husband, Robert G. Conklin of Greene; two grandchildren, Matthew Robert Sterrett Conklin and Joshua William Clark Conklin; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.