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I was saddened and surprised to learn of the death of my maternal grandmother, who I knew as "Nana". I am her grandson Scott, son of Richard Miller. I learned of her death when my mother Donna, now living in Houston, Texas with my two sisters, sent me an email advising that she was sent a newspaper obituary from her sister, Sandy. My parents were divorced when I was eight years old, and my relationship with my father probably ended in my early teens, which would have been the early 1970's. Because of the fractured nature of that relationship, I had limited contact with my father's side of the family as I grew up. My first memories of her - and really all of my memories of her - are warm ones. The single earliest memories involve visits with my parents to Nana and Pop-pop's house in Virginville, with the end of each visit resulting in a little gift, which was always an orange in a little brown paper bag. I have fond memories of always getting my orange when it was time to go home. Another fond memory is her organ playing. Both her and my father played keyboards, and that was perhaps the origin of my own interests in music. To this day and despite my ever-increasing age - now 50 years old - I am in a band. I can clearly recall Easter Sundays with Nana at the organ in her living room, playing, "Red Roses for a Blue Lady". I have similar memories of my dad playing a piano in that same living room, but playing boogie-woogie blues. I'll forever love that stuff. I also have childhood memories of hunting, with my dad's side of the family, all the men with their shotguns and hunting dogs, and then on our return seeing Nana boil water and pluck the feathers from pheasants we shot, or skinning a rabbit. Another vivid memory is that of my Uncle Bobby, who is Nana's surviving son and my dad's younger brother. Bobby was relatively close in age to me, and I idolized him as I grew up as Bobby was yet another family musician. I have not seen or heard from Bobby in perhaps 25 years, and I think he may be my only blood relative on the maternal side at this point. If he reads this, or if anyone knows how to reach him, I am interested in re-establishing contact. Goodbye, Nana. I wish I could give you an orange in a little bag.
Thank You
Scott Miller
Felony Division Chief
Office of the State Attorney
Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
1350 NW 12th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33136
<ScottRMiller@MiamiSAO.com>
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:16 (EDT)
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