Joseph H. Miller, Insurance executive and Order of Malta President, died peacefully at his New Canaan home on July 20 after a short illness. He was 73 years old. Joseph was born in Poughkeepsie, NY on April 25, 1938 and spent his young life there. He attended Siena College in Loudonville, NY on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1960. He remained an active alumnus and received the Professor Egon Plager Award in 2010 for accomplishments in advancing the welfare of human beings. Joseph spent his professional life in the insurance and investments industries. In 1992, he and his son, Joel, founded the New Canaan Group, now based in Stamford, a financial planning firm specializing in Wealth Management and Insurance Planning Services. Joseph began his business career as an agent for AXA/Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1960 and climbed the ranks as a District Manager, Vice President and Agency Manager. Through his long and successful career with AXA/Equitable, he and his wife and children lived in Pennsylvania, California and Texas before finding their permanent home in New Canaan in 1978. Joseph became a member of The American Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1993. He was elected President of the Order in 2009. The Order has a world-wide membership and serves the sick and the poor in hospitals and aids disaster victims around the world. Joseph led this, the oldest lay religious order of the Catholic Church dating back to the Crusades, until his death. Prior to becoming President, he served as Chancellor since 2004. Joseph was a part of 19 pilgrimages to Lourdes, France. Joseph was a founding member of the Innercity Foundation for Charity and Education for the Bridgeport Diocese which raises nearly $4 million per year to support non-sectarian charities and Catholic schools in the Bridgeport Diocese. He recently served as Secretary of the Board and Chairman of the Education Committee. For the past 10 years he served as a member of the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities, the largest private family service agency in the region. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Directors and instrumental in the development of Malta House in Norwalk, a home for single, homeless, pregnant women. He was an avid golfer, and was a member of Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT and Wyndemere in Naples, FL. Joseph is predeceased by his parents, Joseph Harold and Marguerite Miller. In addition to his wife of 48 years, Barbara, he is survived by his son, Joseph H. Miller III and wife, Judith, of New Canaan, CT and their children, Joseph H. IV, Catherine, Elizabeth and Zachary, his daughter; Meghan Creedon of McKinney, TX and her children, Nicholas, William, John, Courtney and Caroline; his son, Christopher P. and wife, Victoria, of Suwanee, GA and their children, Peyton, Whitney and Shelby; his daughter, Beth MacInnes and husband, Benjamin, of Rowayton, CT and their children, Archibald, Georgia, Augustus and Penelope; and his daughter, Allison Lesson and husband, Mark, of Rowayton, CT and their children, Samantha, Barbara and Ruby. Viewing hours will be from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesday, July 27at Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main Street, New Canaan, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, July 28 at St. Aloysius Church, 21 Cherry St., New Canaan, CT. The Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Malta Human Services Foundation (www.maltausa.org), 1011 First Avenue, Suite 1350, New York, NY 10022 or Innercity Foundation for Charity and Education (www.innercityfoundation.org), 238 Jewett Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06606. For online condolences and directions visit www.hoytfuneralhome.com