A man likely to be Malta’s oldest passed away on Tuesday evening, three days after attaining the ripe old age of 103 and leaving behind a trail of memories, dating back to 1909.
Henry Miller celebrated his birthday on Saturday with Mass at the Holy Family Home for the Elderly in Naxxar, where he resided since 2005. He was surrounded by family and close friends.
Despite having exceeded a century of life, he was not as old as Peppi Gellel, who passed away in 2010 aged 104.
Mr Miller’s advanced age did not make him shun modern-day technology and, the morning of his birthday, he had even Skyped former US Ambassador to Malta Douglas Kmiec, having developed a “special friendship” with him during his time in Malta.
Not many could say they personally recalled World War I and II and it is not surprising that his wealth of stories meant “you could listen to him for hours on end”.
Until recently, Mr Miller would be able to discuss international current affairs and remained an avid reader and follower of the news. His daily crossword was also a must, according to Betty Lee, a former nursing aide at the home, who continued to look after him and had become a family friend.
Mr Miller had arrived at the Church-run residence for the elderly with his beloved wife, Mabel, who passed away in 2006. He is survived by three sons, two living abroad, who have come over for his funeral tomorrow.
Mr Miller was very popular at the home for the elderly where he resided. A devoted family man, husband, father and grandfather, he was also a man of discipline and routine – even in his diet – and always took pride in his appearance, Ms Lee said.
“Many people asked him about his secret for living so long and he always answered: punctuality and moderation in all things.”
When Mr Miller was 100 years old, he gave his first TV interview and since then participated in many programmes, speaking about divorce and other issues, Ms Lee recalled.
The playful character even surprised soprano Miriam Gauci during a TV programme, where she was a guest, turning up as her oldest fan, Mr Miller being a big opera buff.
“I will miss Henry deeply as he was like a dad to me. He was a man in a million and I had the great honour of being named his honorary daughter,” Ms Lee said.
In an interview with The Times a couple of years ago, Mr Miller’s naughty sense of humour had shone and the oldest person in the home had not hesitated to joke, with a twinkle in his eye, about how he would have preferred to “go out dancing with a nice girl” that Christmas, rather than stay indoors.