Donald Russell Miller, Henlopen Hotel owner
Donald Russell Miller of Delray Beach, Fl., beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family Aug. 26, 2021.
Donald was born Jan. 24, 1935, to Anne and Thomas Miller of Milford, Conn. The youngest of two boys, his brother Thomas Joseph of Brookly, N.Y., predeceased him in 2009.
His enthusiasm for life, family and work will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 64 years and best friend, Ethel, his loving children, Jonathan Miller and spouse Cheryl Miller of Darien, Conn., and Dina Miller and spouse Richard Flaskegaard of Delray Beach. Donald adored his six grandchildren, Elliot, Aaron, Zachary, Charles, Kathryn, Nicholas, their spouses and partners, and his two great-grandchildren, Lyla and Leon.
Donald grew up in Milford, Conn., where his mother was a bookkeeper, and his father was a projectionist for the local movie theatre. After his high school graduation in 1952, he left to serve as a military police officer in the Korean War. He later married the love of his life, Ethel Dunsky, July 13, 1957, in New York City. Donald attended Boston University, majoring in real estate with a minor in psychology, and graduated with the Phi Theta Kappa honor society in 1960.
During his lifetime he had an active and successful career in real estate development. Among his numerous accomplishments were the purchase of the historic Henlopen Hotel in Rehoboth Beach in 1969. This was converted to condominium and hotel units in 1971. In addition, he purchased the largest McDonald’s franchise group in the world in 1974. He later founded Académie de Cuisine in 1976 due to his love for cooking. He was the founder and first president and director of the Association of Cooking Schools which became The International Association of Culinary Professionals. Donald co-founded Miller Samuel Inc. with his family in 1986 in NYC. It grew to become the premier appraisal authority in the NYC region.
Although Donald had numerous achievements, his most important to him was his family. He most valued spending time with his wife and family. The annual family clam and lobster bake on July 4th were of particular meaning to him. His wife was the peanut butter to his jelly, and they were rarely apart in their 64 years.
The family would like to thank Trust Bridge of Delray Beach, and Abbey Delray South for their kind and amazing support during such a difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
