Jean Miller

Feb. 12, 1936–April 18, 2023

 

Jean Somers Miller, of Albany, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, a warm, soft-spoken, and brilliant person, the longtime significant other of Fredric Dicker and mother of six, passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the Albany Medical Hospital after a long illness.
Jean, the former New York State Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), was born in Ironton, on Feb. 12, 1936, one of four children of James and Imogene (née Everly) Somers.
She grew up in Ironton and then spent years in Cincinnati and Coco Beach, Florida, before coming to Saratoga County in 1970. She attended SUNYA and then Albany Law School, obtaining a Juris Doctor degree in 1977.
During law school, Jean counseled state prison inmates as part of the Prisoners Legal Services program.

On graduation, she served as an attorney for the state Commerce Department and State Commission on Corrections. She later served as program director for Senate Democrats, counsel to the state Consumer Protection Board and counsel to OASAS, before being confirmed by the Senate as OASAS commissioner.

She is survived by Mr. Dicker, the noted journalist; and children, John, of Stillwater, Florida, Bernadette, of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Joseph, of Ashland, Kentucky, Francis, of Saratoga Springs, New York, Suzan, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and Bernard of Ballston Spa, New York, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Burial is in the Albany Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jean’s honor to the Capital City Rescue Mission will be appreciated.