Sydney
April 19, 1937 – January 24, 2026
The family of Alex Miller are heartbroken to announce his peaceful passing on the An Cala unit of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
Born April 19, 1937, to the late Alexander Matthew and Marion Theresa (Horton) Miller, Alex was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Mary Irene (Black) in 2021.
Dad was born in Antigonish, spent his childhood in Sydney River, and his youth on Whitney Ave in Sydney. As the oldest of 11 children, you can imagine there was a wealth of stories. He attended St FX briefly, but the pull of Sydney Steel won out, and he worked there, in every area of the plant, for over 30 years, retiring from the metallurgical lab in 1993.
A very proud Cape Bretoner, Dad had an intimate knowledge of Sydney and Cape Breton and the history of both, two of his favorite places being Margaree and Mira. His love for Cape Breton may have only been surpassed by his love for chocolate and ice cream! He was well known in Cape Breton genealogy circles, spending countless hours researching, documenting, and communicating with people all over the world. There is an “Alex Miller Collection” at the Beaton Institute at CBU.
The original recycler and a consummate putterer, Dad could (and did!) jury rig anything. Dad enjoyed photography from a young age – we all have landscape photos adorning our homes. Immensely proud of the home that he and Mom built in Sydney Forks, he took special pride in his gardens, especially post-retirement. A voracious reader, he had an extensive and varied book collection. Strong in his faith, he was long time member of Our Lady of Fatima parish. Dad was humble, kind, fair, hard-working, and always a gentleman-our quiet leader and mentor.
Besides his parents and his wife, Alex was predeceased by granddaughter, Laura; siblings, Brian, Cyril, and Joseph ‘Joe’; sisters-in-law, Elaine, Theresa, and brother-in-law, James ‘Jimmy’ Willis.
Alex is survived by children, Maureen (John) Devine, and their sons, Sean (Allison), and Liam (Cass), Michael (Marieanne), and their son, Dan (Samantha), Robert (Colette), and their children, Andrew, and Alyson; siblings, Kevin (Fran), Gerald ‘Gerry’, Judith ‘Judy’, Rohan, Darryl, Daniel ‘Danny’, Patricia ‘Trishe’, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.
The family would like to thank the staff of Harbourstone Enhanced Care, Levatte’s Lane where Dad resided for the past four plus years, and the physicians and staff of the Cape Breton Regional emergency department, unit 4A, and the An Cala Palliative Care unit for their kind and compassionate care.
Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation for the late Alex Miller. Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Sydney River, with Fr. Conrad Edwards officiating. A reception will follow in the church hall. Internment will take place at a later date at Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks. For those unable to attend, Live Streaming will be available on our website.
If desired, memorial donations may be made in memory of Alex to CB Regional Hospital Foundation, your local food bank, the Old Sydney Society, or the Beaton Institute at CBU.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of Pier Community Funeral Home.
Online condolences can be forwarded to the family at www.pierfuneralhome.com.
Maureen, Sean, Liam; Michael, Danny: Robert, Andrew and Allison my sincere condolences on your great loss. Alex leaves a big hole in all our lives and will be sorely missed. I have so many great memories of he and Irene and you all.
Rob and family. Please accepted our deepest sympathies on the passing of your Dad and know that our thoughts and prayers are with all the family.
Your friends,
Roger & Joanne Campbell
Miller Family………….So very Sorry for your loss. I got to know Alex from Harbourstone as MY brother lives there. We will miss him as the Greeter at the door for every one……..RIP Alex
To Alex’s family
What a lovely tribute to your dad! You captured his personality perfectly! He was our neighbour since 1975, and we always appreciated his presence. Alex could always be counted on no matter what the occasion or need. As you wrote he was forever a gentleman . He has been missed since he moved from his home. We send our sincere condolences to all of his family.
I want to send my deepest condolences to your family. I am very sad to hear of Alex’s passing. Alex and I had many conversations at Harbourstone when I went to visit Albert. They were both from Sydney River, and Alex would tell me stories from “back in the good old days.”
Especially stories about Margaree and the many adventures he had when he was younger.
He was such a kind, humorous, and whitty gentleman. He often opened the door for me and always had a smile and a story to share. I know that he will be dearly missed by the residents and staff at Harbourstone. I often saw him help other residents, and I always enjoyed his sense of humor. God bless him.snd may he rest in peace.
Maureen and family.
My deepest condolences to you and all Alex’s family.
Mom also sends her condolences. She’ll often reminisce of drives and visits with your mom and dad and loved their company.
As for me he was always an absolute gentleman and fine neighbor. He also gave me a copy of the Black family history with an unbelievable amount of information that I couldn’t even imagine compiling in 2 lifetimes.
May he rest in peace
To the Miller Family:
So sorry to read of Alex’s passing. I got to know Alex and Irene through our church Lady of Fatima. They were both such nice, sweet people. Alex was always a gentleman. RIP Alex. My thoughts and prayers go out to all his family
Helen MacLeod
To The Family,
Please Accept My Heartfelt Condolences. Truly the loss of a precious loved one is most difficult. Please find comfort in the promise our most loving Heavenly Father Jehovah God gives us in Revelation 21:4″And He will wipe out every tear from their eyes and death will be no more; neither will mourning; nor outcry; nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” Yes, We can look forward to a time soon to come when all suffering including death will be done away with forever. For more encouraging information from the bible. Please visit jw.org