Lamont Miller, Sag Harbor school district bus driver, dies at 48

If you asked people who knew Lamont Miller to describe him, they would say his smile was legendary. The 6-foot-3 Riverhead father of four was a fixture in his community and was known for his warmth and kindness, according to his family. Miller died of a heart attack on Nov. 3 at the age of 48.

"He was such a force," said Miller's wife, Lisa Miller, of Riverhead. "He was friends with everyone and just a really good guy."

Lamont Miller was born on June 28, 1976, in Southampton to Donessa Walker and Anthony Miller. He graduated from Southampton High School in 1995 and started working at Country Gear Ltd., a furniture store in Bridgehampton. In 2010, Miller began his career working for the Sag Harbor Union Free School District as a bus driver, a job that would impact his community for years to come.

"He was a really genuine guy and always made the kids smile. He made sure they had everything, knew everyone's name, and tried to remember something special about them," said Maude Stevens, of Shirley, Miller's boss and the transportation supervisor of the Sag Harbor school district. "He was a great driver and always wanted to make everyone's day better."

According to Stevens, the driver unit is finding it especially difficult to process his loss as Miller had the same bus route for the last 14 years.

"Some of the students he started driving have now graduated," said Stevens. "His heart was as big as he was, and he touched anyone who came in his path."

When Miller met his wife in 2004, the two were "inseparable." They married in June 2016, and raised four children: daughters, Gianna, 16; Madison, 14; and Samantha, 8; and son, Dominick, 5.

"He was the best father imaginable. He loved taking care of everybody; he did pickup and drop-off, and he was a true girl dad until he had a boy," said Lisa of her husband. "He loved his kids, and everything he did was for them."

Miller was an avid Jets fan, enjoyed old-school R&B and rock — and loved to grill. According to his family, Miller's grilling skills were unmatched, earning him the nickname "High Heat." But most of all, he cherished any time spent with his family.

"He was the best son ever and was loved by everybody," said Miller's mother, Donessa Walker, of Calverton. "He would do anything for his siblings. As the middle child, he helped me raise them because I was a single mom. He was the ideal man."

Walker enjoyed a special bond with her son, as she and Miller worked together.

"Lamont got me the job at the school as a bus matron. He picked me up for work and I rode the bus with him every morning," said Walker. "He was a very real person and was a protector to everybody. If he was around, you were safe."

According to his wife, Miller would want to be remembered through his children and for exhibiting kindness every day.

"He always taught his kids the importance of reaching their full potential and the importance of being nice and starting every day with a smile," said Lisa. "Just be a good person and know that it will work out, that's what he would tell them." 

Funeral services were held at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton on Nov. 9, followed by a private cremation. In addition to his wife and mother, Miller is survived by his four children; his father, Anthony Miller; grandmother Lessie Miller; brothers, Keith Wingfield and Anthony Miller Jr.; and sisters, Tanisha Highsmith and Kristen Davis.