Michael Miller, CTRC President, has passed away
It is with great sadness that the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation has learned that our President, and recently appointed Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara, passed away yesterday. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Miller family, our membership, and all who know Michael during this difficult time.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:19 am
A big loss for the Historic Polonia District, Central Terminal and preservation efforts everywhere…
August 28th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I am stunned and heartsick over this news. Mike was such a great guy and did so much for Buffalo. My prayers go out for his family.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:39 am
I can not believe this news – I have worked with Mike at M&T for many many years and I am at a loss for words right now. Mike was a great wonderful person and I will miss him very much.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Mike was a great friend, a passionate advocate for preservation and a person who deeply cared for others. The news of his passing has deeply saddened my family.
The Terminal may have a few leaks but this time it is leaking tears.
Mike we will finish this project but we still need your help. We want you to continue to be our source of determination.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Mike was a great friend. His passion for a building that meant so much to me created a common bond for myself and many others. He will be deeply missed!
August 28th, 2009 at 10:29 am
My thoughts and prayers go out to Mike’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time. His enthusiam and efforts will be strongly missed.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Mike was more than a cousin to me, he was a part of my family, a good friend to my husband, and a second father to my kids. For the past thirty years, he was always there to help us with projects on our homes, went on family vacations with us, spent time with us hiking, going to concerts and out to dinner, or just hanging out with us on the weekends. He spoke highly of all his friends at M&T and at the Central Terminal – all of you made Mike feel loved and appreciated. He was living his life exactly as he wanted – using the passion he felt for restoring the terminal and, just recently, starting to try to make a difference in Buffalo through his position with Restoration Buffalo Niagara. He felt it was a chance of a lifetime and he was ready to make his mark in our city. He loved what he did, and he loved his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by all of us. We are hoping to have a service at the Central Terminal next week. After Russell’s service at the terminal, Mike expressed to us that he would be honored to have the same type of farewell. All your words of sympathy will be passed on to his mother and sisters and I know they will help make this difficult time a little easier for them.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Wow!! What a shock. First Russ, now Mike. The loss of inspirational people is devastating anytime it happens, even more so when it is sudden and unexpected. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Rest assured that we will not stop in the mission that Mike was so passionate about.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Words cannot express the shock and devastation that we are all feeling. Mike was an inspiration to us all & left a mark on the Buffalo community that will live on forever. My deepest sympathies go out to everyone that had the privilege of knowing this man.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Mike, as we always joked, was the “big brother I never wanted”. He and I had known each other many, many years through our time at M&T Bank, and I was SOOO happy for him when he got this new opportunity to pursue a career he loved. The job seemed custom made for him and he was so excited to be able to make his mark. The city lost a wonderful advocate, and I, a very dear friend. Mike — I’ll miss you buddy and will ’smoke a cigar’ in your honor. Love you, WitchyPoo.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:28 am
What a tremendous loss to his family, friends and the City of Buffalo. His ability to see beyond today was inspirational to so many people.
Mike was a great friend and an awesome listener. He will be sadly missed.
Mike, I’m sure I didn’t say it enough, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!
MG
August 28th, 2009 at 11:35 am
I am both shocked and saddened by this devestating news. Mike was a great friend who always took time to listen and provide sound advice. We were all thrilled when he was finally able to live his lifetime dream and work for something he truly loved. Mike touched many lives here at M&T both personnally and professionally. His passion for the Central Terminal and for his new job, we all saw a spark in Mike that we knew was genuine. He was a good man with a big heart and I cannot imagine this world without him. My sincere and heartfelt sympathies go out to his mother(whom he talked about all the time) and his sisters and his niece(who he always referred to as his pride and joy). May the memories of this wonderful man help to comfort you all during this most difficult time.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Mike was one of my closest friends,I am devastated but I know how truly blessed I was to have him as a friend.I love you Mike and I will always hold you close to my heart.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:53 am
The whole M&T family is in shock and will never ever forget Mike. He was such a kind and generous man. He would always say hi in the hall and always asked how my daughter was doing and I always showed him updated pictures of her. On his last day at M&T, he walked around to everyone to say his farewells. My thoughts are prayers are with his family and friends. He will always be remembered and never forgotten.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Mike was there for my entire life- from my birth, growing up, through college, and he danced with me at my wedding just last fall. His creativity, drive to restore the Central Terminal, great sense of humor, and his intellect made him fun to be around and also one of few relatives you are actually glad to have in your family tree. I like to think he taught me a few things about “thinking outside the box” and also following your dreams. I am shocked and deeply saddened by the loss our family and all of WNY feels today. Live free. Live your dreams. Live today….Tomorrow may not be! I love you so much Mike! You will be missed…..
August 28th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
It has taken me some time to compose my thoughts in wake of this tragic news. I, like everyone, am shocked by this news, and deeply saddened for our collective loss. Mike was a great mentor who became an even better friend. One who was always willing to lend his wisdom and thoughtfulness, regardless of topic. I will relish our discussions and dreams for the future. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and our CTRC family. Mike you will be missed, but rest assured that your passion and love has been passed to the next generation, we will continue your efforts.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
When I heard the news this morning I was shocked. Mike was a wonderful, caring individual. He was always there to listen and he truly cared about what you had to say. I was so happy for him when he accepted a position in a field he truly loved. Our loss will be heaven’s gain.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
When I heard the news this morning I was shocked. Mike was a wonderful, caring individual. He was always there to listen and he truly cared about what you had to say. I was happy for him when he accepted a position in a field he truly loved. Our loss will be heaven’s gain.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Mike’s passing is truly a devastating loss to all who knew him and to the community for which he worked so diligently. Mike was the epitome of integrity, kindness, persistence, wisdom, generosity, and much more. Mike had a great way with people and always said and did the right thing on a professional and personal level. We must appreciate the time he was able to spend with us and know we are all better people because of him. He was a gift to us all.
Goodbye, Mike, and God bless.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
My heart is so sad today. Mike was a man that made everyone feel special.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
When I read the email this morning, I think I read it over at least 50 times. I could not comprehend what I was reading. I thought maybe I was misreading it or I misunderstood it. It took a long time for the news to sink in that a great man who has touched so many is suddenly gone. Mike was one of the nicest, caring, hard working individuals I know. The world would be a better place if more people were like Mike. We will make sure his hard work and determination continues through our efforts.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I think I speak for everyone when I say that he was a great friend to anyone who knew him, we should all be so thankful to have enjoyed his company. The CTRC has endured a lot over the year with the passing of Russel just 2 weeks ago to now losing Mike. But if theirs anything Mike would have wanted if would have been for us keep going and to keep spreading his idea and vision to truly change the East Side.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Mike was one heck of a remarkable individual…he is one of the big reasons I got involved in working to help make the neighborhood better.
RIP my friend
August 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Mike Miller was a really nice guy and he had a true passion for the Central Terminal. I really liked it when he said all those nice things about me and my project in Niagara Gazette.
Thanks Mike for everything.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
We knew Mike as Cousin Mike and my kids refered to him as Uncle Mike , but Mike was always there no matter what you called him…..he was the guy that was there to help us no matter what, and he was like that with everyone. Mike saw Buffalo thru different eyes than most people , he saw the beauty in an old building that others would want to tear down and tell me “do you see how cool that building is” . We couldn’t drive thru Buffalo , or anywhere around here for that matter, without Mike taking us on a tour of all the cool buildings. Mike loved Buffalo. He was the right guy, for all the many hats he wore, Uncle, Cousin ,Son ,Co-worker, President, Director, and he was like a brother to me. Buffalo has lost a great man, and our family has lost…… MIke. We love ya MIke.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Mike was a great guy and a good friend. He was always willing to lend a hand with whatever needed help. I can’t believe it! less than 3 weeks after losing Russell Pawlak. This is a terrible loss for all of us who knew him, and for the preservation communities everywhere! August 2009 is indeed a very sad month for all of us. Mike, I’ll miss you, my brother!
August 28th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I was so shocked this morning when I heard the news of Mike’s passing. He was truly a wonderful human being and I know he touched the lives of so many and was an inspiration to us all. He will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends and all his associates.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
It was very hard to hear this news this morning .. Mike was one of the sweetest man I knew . Always there to help, listen and give a smile . He was one of those people who would be there whenever you needed him . He would lend a hand to help , when we did the Day of Caring .. those kids loved him . One wanted to go home with him and cried when he left and thats only knowing him a day . For those of us who were lucky to know him as many years as we have at M&T . ,its a very sad day for us all .. We are the lucky ones to have known him and have someone that was so caring for others .. He will be missed …
August 28th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
It brings a tear to my eye to know that such a great and wonderful man is no longer in our presence.Iam very grateful to have met him in and out of work.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I never had a true appreciation for the Central Terminal until I was able to see it through the eyes of Mike. He introduced me to viewing the beauty of the building regardless of its current state. He welcomed me and my family as friends. I am glad I had the opportunity to know Mike, and I will miss our discussions of history and preservation.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I’m shocked and don’t really know what to say. I’ll miss you my friend.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
As all the posts before mine, I was thinking that someone got their news wires crossed and were confusing stories of who passed away. Mike was calm and mild mannered, with a personality that served well to unite people. He was a great guy and my condolences go out to his family and friends. He will be missed.
Bob and Pam
August 29th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I first caught a glimpse of Mike and his devotion to Buffalo and Western New York when I came across his blog on WNYMedia.net “Shades of Grey” a couple of years ago. Mike and I started exchanging emails, and discovered we had much in common–in fact we once were neighbors many years ago in the Cold Springs neighborhood and we both were baptized at Our Lady of Lourdes.
I’ve been re-reading our email exchange the past couple of days and one in particular stood out. Mike wrote,
“I tend to follow my heart, close my ears and move forward, regardless of what people say. That’s an attitude I got from the CTRC. When I started, and we wanted to hold events, we were told that nobody would come to a dilapidated train station in a crime ridden area. 75,000 visitors later, we can say that we proved them wrong. They also told us that we were crazy to ever believe that restoring the terminal was even remotely possible.”
Mike, we’ll miss you my friend. I’m coming home to help carry on the legacy you established.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I am completely shocked and saddened at the news of Mike’s passing. I first met Mike when we worked together on the production of a documentary regarding the Central Terminal. From there, he was extremely supportive of our efforts to put the piece to use in promoting the terminal in film festivals and on television. Whenever he saw us in the press, he always sent a note to congratulate us.
I most recently saw Mike in April while at the terminal, and he scolded me for my plans to move out of the area following my college graduation. He knew that Buffalo had more to offer people if they would work to make it happen, which is obviously what he was devoting his life to. Since my move, I have been saddened to hear of the deaths of 2 very great, generous and proactive people in Buffalo’s revival process, Mike and Russell. I’ll miss them both, but, I know their efforts inspired many people to get involved, and hope their legacy lives on through the restoration of the terminal.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Mike was such a great person and worked so hard to make Buffalo a better place to be proud of. We will all miss you so much !
August 31st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Our hearts are so heavy today. Mike: We will miss your quiet manner, your shy smile, your huge heart. Your dedication to the Terminal inspired us to continue to keep the Breast Cancer Awareness Garden at the circle of Memorial and Paderewski growing strong. You became a true and trusted friend and we will never forget you.
Thank you “Mom” for sharing your wonderful son with all of us who loved him.
The Garden Gals
September 11th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I knew him but a short time – yet he was often the first to give the morning Hello or wave at work. I was away when he passed and after not seeing him, I had to ask his coworker. We often spoke of our homes in Wheatfield or passion for older cars. Wish I had known of his involvment with the Central Terminal as I have so many stories to share. I will miss this genuine “old school” gentleman. For those of you who have enjoyed his friendship longer, you are blessed.