Personal Challenges Shaped Their Legacy

Donald and Leonora Miller, both Bergenfield natives, shared a friendship throughout their school years. Thereafter, life handed challenges to each of them: Leonora lost her first husband in the Korean War and Donald’s first wife passed away at just 24. After serving in the Army, Donald became reacquainted with Leonora one evening while she was working in a restaurant, and they discovered a love that would last a lifetime. Their shared faith and devotion to family, and community, shaped every day they spent together.

They filled their lives with joy: traveling, skiing, reading to each other nightly, and enjoying the simple pleasures of home. Donald worked for the telephone company; Leonora waitressed and hosted friends and neighbors who enjoyed her culinary talents of baking bread and cookies and whipping up hundreds of recipes that reflected her giving nature.

Though they faced heartbreak in never having children, the neighborhood youngsters were like their own, welcomed into their home with warmth, treats, and love. Their generosity and kindness left a lasting mark on all who met them.

In planning their last will and testament, Donald and Leonora chose to make a bequest to Holy Name’s Pediatrics Program—an enduring gift honoring “the children we never had.” Their story reminds us that through thoughtful estate planning we can leave more than wealth; we can foster meaning and purpose and leave a legacy that touches generations.