Deanna Lynne Miller Ross, age 54, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2024 at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, New London, CT, after her courageous and hard-fought battle with breast cancer. She was surrounded by all the love of family and friends near and far.
Dee was born April 5, 1970, to Joan Elaine Wilkinson Miller and Stewart B. Miller with her twin sister Dianna Miller Shillo. Growing up in South Fork, PA, she graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1988. Continuing to Penn State, she graduated in 1992 with a BS in Health Policy Administration and in 2006, received her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the Community College of Allegheny County. She went straight to work as an RN in the ICU at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dee found her true passion, caring for others, which became a lifelong gift she shared with everyone who knew her.
In 2013, Dee moved east to Fishers Island, NY. There, she joined her sister Dianna and her family and immediately became involved and contributed in many ways to life in the small island community.
She was a valuable Island Health Project (IHP) doctor’s office staff member as an RN and home caregiver, fundraising volunteer, and, most recently, bookkeeper. For nearly a decade, she was the island’s unofficial 24/7 on-call nurse. She always asked how others were doing.
Dee also worked in additional roles at Island establishments, including as Z&S Contracting office staff, American Legion Post #1045 bartender, Pequot manager, and long-time Fishers Island Ferry District secretary to the Board of Commissioners.
In her ‘free time’ Dee helped serve at the off-season Senior Lunch, assisted in organizing American Legion fundraising events, created a new collection of big beautiful holiday bows to decorate Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church’s sanctuary for Christmas, soaked up the sun at Isabella, caught a few Stripers and Black Fish with a huge smile of success, “BAM”, often walked the Conservancy’s Parade Ground with her four-legged love, Charlie, and just took time to chat with friends.
Dee is predeceased by her grandparents Palmer and Verna Miller, and Arthur and Olive Wilkinson. She is survived by her parents Stewart and Joan Miller; her sister Susan Miller Paczek and husband Stanley Paczek; sister Tracy Miller Litko; twin sister Dianna Miller Shillo and husband Tom Shillo; and her fiancé Kenneth Edwards, Jr. Dee will also be remembered by her nephews Brian Paczek, Vincent Paczek, Joshua Smith, Brock Smith, Nathan Litko, Tyler Litko, Dylan Schaffer, Sean Shillo and David Shillo, nine great-nieces and nine great-nephews, and her loving aunts and uncle, cousins and numerous friends.
As Dee would say, “At the end of the day…” … – far and wide, she is missed by everyone she touched, and all are so blessed to have known her. Heaven now has this Island angel.
The Fishers Island Celebration of Life for Dee will be held at Union Chapel on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 11:30 A.M., followed by a luncheon at the American Legion Post #1045.
Note: Popeye Charters will run a special boat on Saturday, June 14:
Leaving Spicer’s Dock at 10:45
Leaving Fishers at 2:30
An opportunity for the Fishers Island community to gather in Dee’s memory was held on Friday, November 29, 2024, at the American Legion Post #1045.
A Celebration of Life for Dee was held on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at Mt. Hope Community Church in South Fork, PA, followed by dinner after the service.
Contributions in remembrance of Dee may be made to one of her favorite Island causes, the Island Health Project, PO Box 344, Fishers Island, NY 06390, or the American Legion Post #1045, PO Box 412, Fishers Island, NY 06390.
