Obituary of Louis R. Miele

Louis R. Miele passed from this mortal earth into immortality on Saturday January 21, 2017 at O'Connor Hospital in Delhi. Louis was born on April 1, 1934 in Rahway, NJ, the son of Louis A. Miele and Frances Garafolo Miele. He grew up on the family farm, working in the fields from the time he was a young boy, weeding and picking produce that his father sold at the markets. Upon graduation from Jonathon Dayton Regional High School in Springfield, NJ, he joined the military and served for two years in the United States Army. After his honorable discharge from the service, he returned to the family farm. At that time, he started building greenhouses to grow bedding plants and vegetables which were sold from the farm stand on Lake Avenue. From this simple beginning, he built his business, Miele's Greenhouses, which was renowned in the Union County Area. Miele's was noted for the variety and quality of the plants he grew. He sold both wholesale and retail and people came from as far away as Brooklyn and Staten Island to shop for plants for their gardens. He was especially known for his poinsettias. In 1985, Lou came to Bovina looking for property to buy where he could hunt and relax from the rush of his thriving business. He purchased his 200 acre farm and called it Stoney Fields. He was not one to sit around and do nothing so he became involved with Ed Weber in developing a Belgian Blue Beef Operation. From this partnership, he was introduced to Ed's mother in law, Pat Parsons and from this beginning, a nearly 30 year relationship began. Louis and Pat were married on December 29, 2002. Lou then retired from his business in NJ and became a permanent resident of Bovina, enjoying the beautiful gardens and landscape that he created over the years. On April 15, 2010 Lou suffered a debilitating stroke which left him totally paralyzed on his left side. From that time, he was totally dependent on his caregivers who lovingly attended to his needs. He developed a strong friendship with many of them, especially Nicole Campbell and Maggie Barnhart who were with him to the end. He is survived by his loving wife, Pat; daughters: Cindy and Larry Collins of Oaklyn, NJ, Judy and Mark Tracy of Clark, NJ and Katheryn and David Ciganek of Cape Coral, FL., Donna and Ed Weber of Bovina and Marianne Parsons of Bovina; ten grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Friends and relatives are invited to call on the family from 4-7PM on Thursday, January 26th at Hall & Peet Funeral Home, 134 Main Street, Delhi. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1PM on Friday, January 27th at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Cross Street, Delhi with the Rev. Edward Golding celebrant. Burial with full military honors will be held at Bovina Cemetery in the spring. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care,1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta N.Y. 13820 or the Bovina Emergency Squad, 123 Bob Hall Road, Bovina Center, NY 13740 Please visit www.hallandpeet.com to share a condolence with the family.