Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Sally A. Miller, 80, longtime resident of Plainville, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at the Hospital of Central CT New Britain General Campus.
Sally was born on October 31, 1942 in Bristol, CT daughter to the late Mary Adeline (Woods), who was the first black principal in the State of CT, and Oliver Gomes. Sally retired as the Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at LL Global Inc.- LIMRA International in Windsor; She successfully created this department from several other units. Prior to working at LIMRA, she was a Software Specialist for Digital Equipment Corporation and used those skills after hours to voluntarily teach young men and women computer skills. During the evenings, she volunteered to teach inner-city women business skills, keyboarding and resume writing. She owned her own Personnel Agency, Fish Market and then her own Delicatessen in Hartford. Sally fought for and operated the very first restaurant with an outside eating area in the city of Hartford. In addition, she was in charge of the Bloomfield Cheerleaders for several years.
From 2013 to 2017, Sally was the President of the local chapter of AARP Chapter 4146 and her goal was to help the chapter grow. During her term, she accomplished this goal and over 100 new individuals joined the chapter and it was ultimately named “The Chapter of the Year” for the State of CT in 2016. She was a Travel Coordinator for the Chapter as well as the Coordinator of Ways and Means. The monies that were brought in from these resources benefited local charities such as the homeless veterans, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, the food pantry, the Plainville Senior Center, and the fuel bank, just to name a few.
Sally was an award-winning published writer and was well-known and recognized for her monthly column in the Plainville Hometown Connection paper. She was an active volunteer at the Plainville Senior Center, and participated in many events, such as the annual tag sale that she coordinated yearly to raise funds to benefit the Plainville dial-a-ride service. She also worked with the conference for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and enjoyed delivering balloons and cards to shut-ins on their birthday. Sally was a chairperson on the board for the Town of Plainville Committee on Aging along with being one of the coordinators for the Town of Plainville’s 150th anniversary celebration. She was also a Trustee for the Plainville Cemetery Association and was a representative for Oak Grove Community. In 2017, Sally was named one of the 25 most influential African American Men and Women in the region by the Bristol NAACP and she received a proclamation from the Plainville Town Council for her accomplishments. In 2016, Sally accepted the Ava M. McCrory Humanitarian Award for Excellence in a ceremony held in Windsor.
In her spare time, Sally enjoyed writing, playing cards, cribbage, fishing, being with family and friends, and travelling. A woman full of kindness and love, who led a life of selflessness, Sally will be missed tremendously by all who were lucky to have known her or be in her presence.
Sally leaves behind her daughter, Cheryl Lawrence-Gentles; her grandchildren, Linval Gentles II (Tony), Nicole A. Gentles, and Sara R. Gentles; her great-grandchildren, Anthony L. Gentles and Kade Gentles; her sister, Carolyn G. Moore; her nephews, Keith C. Moore and Grant E. Moore; her niece, Sarah A. Moore; her brother, Norman Corey and his children; her eight great-nieces and great-nephews; and a large circle of cherished friends and colleagues.
Family and friends are welcome to gather on Friday, April 7 from 10 to 11 AM at Plainville Funeral Home, 81 Broad St., Plainville. A service in celebration of Sally’s life will be held at 11 AM at the funeral home. Burial will follow in West Cemetery, Plainville. To carry on Sally’s unwavering dedication and passion, donations in memory of her can be made to the Plainville Senior Center, 200 East St., Plainville. For more information or to leave online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.PlainvilleFuneralHome.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sally A. (Gomes) Miller, please visit our floral store.
Plainville Senior Center
200 East St, Plainville CT 06062
Tel: 1-860-747-5728
Web: http://https://www.plainvillect.com/senior-center