Hometown Hero: Miriam Gillies of Center Moriches

Over Miriam Gillies’ decades of community service, she has helped raise money for cancer patients, provided needed items to homeless families and volunteered at a local hospice.

“I guess I’m a people person,” said Gillies, 88. “I do it without even thinking about it.”

Gillies, a former nurse who worked at Islip High School and Central Islip State Hospital (later known as Central Islip Psychiatric Center), said she is most proud of her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, for which she coordinated an annual Relay for Life walk at Center Moriches High School over a 15-year period starting in 2001. The yearly events raised more than $1 million for the nonprofit, she said.

The Center Moriches resident said she first became involved with the society during the 1980s when she began giving free rides to cancer patients going to medical appointments as part of its “Road to Recovery” program.

“A friend was driving people, and she couldn’t drive one day, and she said would you drive somebody,” Gillies said. “I was driving them all over. I met some wonderful people along the way.”

Gillies’ other charitable efforts include serving as a longtime board member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches, which named her the first-ever female grand marshal of its St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2011. Her extensive responsibilities with the chamber over the years have ranged from coordinating duck race fundraisers to overseeing its Christmas tree and menorah lighting events, she said.

“Having known Miriam Gillies for many years, her dedication and compassion for our community members has been nothing short of inspirational,” said the chamber of commerce’s president, Jackie Osborne. “Throughout her tenure, she has consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to improving the lives of those around her. Miriam’s unwavering support for various community initiatives showcases her exceptional leadership and genuine care for others.”

Gillies has also participated in multiple bike-a-thons to benefit individuals with disabilities at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck in Center Moriches and in the delivery of essential items to homeless families through a local Passport Rotary Club, of which she is a charter member. In addition, she has volunteered at East End Hospice in Westhampton Beach and is a board member of the Moriches Community Center and Our Lady Queen of Apostles Regional Catholic School in Center Moriches.

Gillies and her late husband, Bill, owned Senix Marina in Center Moriches, where she said she coordinated an offshore women’s fishing tournament that attracted up to 30 boats a year during its 12-year run, from 1965 until 1990.

She was among 100 people honored this spring for their volunteerism as part of the New York State Office for the Aging’s annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration, which took place in Albany.

“Every year it’s an absolute privilege to recognize older New Yorkers who have made their communities a better place through their tireless dedication to serving others,” said the office’s director, Greg Olsen.

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.