Alice "Micci" Miller, 71, of Wilmington, NC formerly of Ashland and Holliston passed away Sunday Nov. 17 ^th with her family by her side. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late William and Alice (Coughlin) Carroll. Alice worked in the real estate industry for many years as a sales agent and later a paralegal. She is survived by her son; Adam J. Miller and his wife Maureen of Charlotte, NC; daughter; Kimberly A Miller of Woburn, MA; grandchildren; Olivia and Poppy; siblings; Linda Fuery, Mary Cantin, Joann Fagan, Barbie Conway, Colleen Carroll, and William Carroll Jr., several nieces and nephews, and many wonderful friends.

Services are private.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Baypath Humane Society, 500 Legacy Farms North, Hopkinton, MA 01748.

Loving tribute by Chrissy Wilson Hanna

Why does there never seem to be enough time?  No matter how many years we have with our loved ones, long or short, we don't want to let them go.  Sometimes it is selfish on our part when we know it is their time to go home, yet we cannot bring ourselves to say goodbye.

My friends are like a bouquet of fragrant flowers.  I went to the yard years ago and picked the most beautiful, the most enduring and colorful ones I could find.  Through the years as we do with a garden I cultivated, enriched and love my friends always.  Years have passed and some of the petals have wilted, but the inner beauty shines through youthful with vibrance and a lasting youthful glow.

I know I am filling this page with pretty words, but I could never adequately portray.  The feelings I have with the loss of my dear friend.

Micci Carroll Miller was one of a kind.  Her uniqueness will never be replicated.

Micci was one of the first friends I made upon moving to Framingham at the age of ten, some 60+ years ago.  Just as she was as an adult, Micci was an outgoing, quick witted, sometimes (a lot of the times) mouthy kid to whom I was drawn to instantaneously.  Together we found ourselves in many adventures and misadventures.  I can see Micci like it was yesterday, standing in her yard holding her baby sister Barbie in her arms and her brother Paul hanging on to her legs.  All of ten or eleven years of age.  Micci seemed to love it, loved those little siblings and never thought of them as a burden.

Micci was the next to the eldest of eight children.  We did have plenty of time to fish in the Sudbury River and skate on it in the winter months.  As a matter of fact, Micci's brother pulled my little brother, Sean, out of the cold and frigid water when he fell through the ice.

Micci and I always had so much fun together, fun that sometimes turned dangerous.  I must say, like when our experiment went wrong with my chemistry set and we lit a bush ablaze out in front of my house by the river.  It was the burning bush from the Book of Exodus recreated.

Then once we liked boys we had to look our best to look alluring we would spend forever in my bedroom before leaving for our CCD class.  We stuffed our little training bras, tried on numerous outfits and applied mascara to our eyelashes.  Emerging from my room my father took one look and we marched back into the bedroom and quickly turned ourselves back into the frumpy little girls we thought we were.  Why I let Micci walk with me to my clarinet lessons up on Brook St on Saturday mornings, I will never know.  All through my lessons she would cover her ears and make faces at me to mess me up.

I could go on and on with dances we went to together and teenage antics but there is not enough space or time.  Suffice it to say I would not trade one moment I had with Micci for the world.

As adults our personalities could not be more different, yet in spite of it, we fit.  We loved and respected each other.

Micci matured into a beautiful woman, a mother of two wonderful children and a loving grandmother.  Most of her life, it was just Micci at the helm.  Working so hard to provide for her little family there was nothing she would not do for them.

A well known Real Estate Agent in the area for many years, Micci was known for her integrity, knowledge of her profession and high standards of work.    She was always well respected within the community.

Leaving Holliston behind once her children were grown, Micci continued her career in Florida for many years.  All who knew Micci would come to know her personality.  She was a determined person sometimes bordering on a hard exterior at times, but as we all know, there was a heart of gold beating within her chest.  Micci would do anything for whomever was in need.

As I have thought so many times before with the passing of so many friends, I can't and do not want to think of a world without Micci in it.  My beautiful bouquet has lost yet another flower, a lovely beautiful flower, but I know she is brightly blooming in heaven today.

Micci will be so very much missed by me, my children and grandchildren whom she loved very much and in turn loved her.

I saw something so beautiful in Micci just days before she passed. I don't know what it was exactly during her last week with us but she had that exuberance back and was even talking about a little trip back to North Carolina where she had recently moved.  She texted me one morning that week and said "Hey Chrissy, let's do something fun today.  I don't care what it is ut it has to be fun."  She told me that Hospice would be gone in a while and then let the fun begin.  As it turned out on that cold and rainy day, our fun was sitting around my dining room table, Micci, my son Jarrod and me laughing and talking like we had done so many times before.  Micci had been looking so tired and worn, so very thin as she fought for her life, but not that day at my table.  She looked so beautiful sitting there with her chemo hat, as she called it, on her head.  Her face had a luster to it, it was glowing and appeared so soft and youthful.  She told me she felt so good and thought she might be in remission.  I knew she wasn't but let her feel hopeful.

I so admired the bravery and courage Micci displayed in the face of being given a terminal diagnosis of cancer during the summer.  I fear I could never be as brave as my dear friend.  Just like that strong and stubborn kid Micci always was she still was right up until the fight was over and she joined her beloved mother and brother Paul.

So missed Micci will be by everyone of us all, especially her loving children Kimberly and Adam, whom she loved so dearly, and not forgetting her lovely granddaughters Olivia and Poppy.

My treasured friend you have left our sight, who have traveled a journey that you had to take alone, but with you, you took all of the love we have for you and the laughter and good times we had together.

Now my beautiful flower, friend of mine, you will bloom for all seasons forever more.  When I see the first blooms in the spring I will know it is your spirit coming to say "I love you and I miss you and wow do I miss those chocolate chip cookies and lemon meringue pie you always made for me".

I will love you always, Micci, and carry you in my heart forever more.