Donor Stories—Miller

Keep a Promise, Secure an Income

Miriam Miller lived a full life for more than eight decades. She was smart, generous, and above all—loyal.

Miriam graduated from Ethical Culture Fieldston School, earned a BA from Vassar, and then earned two master’s degrees in merchandising and psychiatric counseling. Miriam’s parents encouraged her education—her father was the first Jewish man to graduate from Yale University’s School of Engineering in 1901, becoming one of the engineers who designed the NYC subway system. Her mother attended Normal School and was a suffragette feminist.

After her first marriage ended, she met Saul Beldock, her significant other for 17 years. Saul was the treasurer of Long Island Jewish Medical Center and cared deeply about the future of LIJ. Saul wanted to care for Miriam and ultimately benefit LIJ, so Miriam honored Saul’s wish and established a charitable remainder trust that would pay her an income stream for her life, with the remainder passing to LIJ.

According to Miriam’s daughters, Laura and Sarah, she had positive experiences at another health system hospital—North Shore University Hospital. They appreciated the end-of-life choices granted their mother, where she—the patient—determined the course of action. Miriam’s daughters credit Drs. Neeta Shah and Steve Allen with helping to determine what care was in their mother’s best interests.

During her lifetime, Miriam was a social worker at Sun Harbor Manor in Roslyn, from where she retired at age 75. Described as an “avowed atheist who identified as a Jewish woman,” she enjoyed painting, volunteering at the Nassau County Museum of Art, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and watching Judge Judy. She had a close relationship with her daughters and sons-in-law, her grandchildren, their dog (Ben Miller), and two cats.