Gertrude A. Miller (Gert), of Silver Spring, MD, passed away peacefully on 8/22/22 at the age of 97.  Gertrude was born on November 6, 1924 in New York City and grew up on the Lower East Side.  She was the youngest of 4 children, and was predeceased by her parents, older brother Sam, husband Joseph, sisters, Dora and Lilly, and her son-in-law, Jeffrey Dunn.  She was also predeceased by her second husband, George Kaplan.

Gert was a bright child, skipped two grades, and graduated high school by the age of 16.  She always had a good story to share about growing up on the lower East Side of NYC, claiming she shared one twin bed with her two sisters.  She was a repository for songs long forgotten by the general populace but which she pulled from memory to meet any given situation.  Her story is one of perseverance, losing her father at age 10 and being raised by a single mother she lost at 19.  Gert attended New York City College graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Business.  She worked as a professional buyer in NYC's fashion district and met the love of her life, Joseph Miller, on a blind date.  She married Joe on January 1, 1948, moving to Washington, D.C and then in 1955 to Silver Spring, MD. Some of Gert's favorite memories are the times she lived in France with her family, and the travelling she did with her husband Joe and her two sisters.  They loved seeing the world.  Gert worked for years teaching as a popular substitute for the Montgomery County School system, specializing in teaching hearing impaired students for whom she learned sign language.  She was always a sociable and friendly person who made friends easily.  She loved to entertain, enjoyed teaching water aerobics,  was a shrewd Mahjong and Rummy-cube player, and made a wonderful life for herself while wintering in Florida.  Even after losing her beloved husband after 43 years together, Gert was a person who looked back not on what she lost, but on what she had.

Gert was a wonderful mother, aunt, and grandmother who loved her family.  Education was a priority for Gert, and she made sure her children received a good education.  She is survived by her daughter Bonnie Dunn of Ellicott City, MD; daughter Lynn Hardcastle (Jack) of Glen Gardner, NJ, and son Steven Miller (Lou Ann Craner) of Bethesda, MD.  Gert loved her 5 grandchildren, Eric, Michael, Erin, John, and Jolie and was delighted to be a great grandmother of 7.  She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that memorial donations be sent to Montgomery County Hospice (montgomeryhospice.org).  Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.