Joyce Miller obituary: Labor leader dies at 84

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The onetime headmistress of an elite girls’ school fatally shot Dr. Herman Tarnower, her lover and the creator of the famous “Scarsdale Diet.” The killing generated front-page headlines and national debates about whether she was a feminist martyr or vengeful murderer. She was 89. Full obituary
Notable deaths of 2012 (Ron Frehm / Associated Press)

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Often called “Stormin’ Norman” for his legendary temper, the former four-star general is best known as the commander of 1991’s Operation Desert Storm, which quickly drove an invading Iraq out of Kuwait. He reminded America what it was like to win a war and defined the nation’s renewed sense of military pride. He was 78. Full obituary

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The two-time Oscar nominee was dubbed the king of the character actors for his skill in playing everything from a Nazi colonel to the pope. His prolific work in films and television included supporting roles in the classic comedy “Tootsie” and the TV sitcom “Evening Shade.” He was 89. Full obituary
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Bork was the conservative legal champion whose bitter defeat for a Supreme Court seat in 1987 politicized the confirmation process and changed the court’s direction for decades. He was 85. Full obituary | Photos
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The Hawaii Democrat was the second-longest-serving senator in U.S. history. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his World War II combat heroics. He was 88. Full obituary
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Shankar was already revered as a master of the sitar in 1966 when he met George Harrison, the Beatle who became his most famous disciple and gave the Indian musician-composer unexpected pop-culture cachet. He was 92. Full obituary | Photos
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Rivera defied the limits of genre and used her personal struggles in her songs, becoming a hero among Latin women in the U.S. and Mexico and a powerful player in a field dominated by machismo. She was 43. Full obituary | Photos
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Niemeyer, who loved curves in design and disliked right angles, shared architecture’s Pritzker Prize in 1988. He designed the major buildings that form the heart of Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. He was 104. Full obituary | Photos

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The New Hampshire senator co-authored a groundbreaking budget-balancing law, championed ethics and led a commission that predicted the danger of terrorist attacks years before 9/11. He was 82. Full obituary
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Though already a television star for his role on 1960s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie,” Hagman is best known for playing villainous patriarch J.R. Ewing in the TV soap “Dallas.” In 1980, an estimated 300 million viewers in 57 countries saw J.R. get shot. Hagman was 81. Full obituary
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Former boxing champion Hector “Macho” Camacho fought a who’s who of legendary opponents stretching from Ray Mancini to Oscar De La Hoya. Known for flamboyance in the ring, he showed he understood the importance of selling a fight and employing some mental warfare. He was 50. Full obituary
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The inventive American composer whose music celebrated the intricacies of modern life helped define the American sound in the 20th century. He received two Pulitzer Prizes, the Sibelius Medal and the National Medal of the Arts. He was 103. Full obituary
Notable deaths of 2012 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

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The etiquette maven served as social secretary to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and later wrote books and a syndicated column advising readers on good manners. Time magazine described her as “a superbly energetic amalgam of feminist and Tasteful Lady.” She was 86. Full obituary
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The Hall of Fame boxing trainer directed several world-champion fighters including Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and current heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. His Detroit gym is one of the world’s best known boxing centers. He was 68. Full obituary

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Hailed as “one of the last thoroughgoing generalists,” the French American scholar helped found the field of cultural history and in his 90s wrote the epic if improbable bestseller “From Dawn to Decadence.” He was 104. Full obituary
Notable deaths of 2012 (Eric Gay / Associated Press)

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As one of the leaders of the famed 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, S.D., he helped thrust the plight of Native Americans into the national spotlight. He later launched a career as an actor with roles in films including “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Natural Born Killers.” He was 72. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (Jim Mone / Associated Press)

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A three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, McGovern won the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Though he lost in a landslide against Richard M. Nixon, his campaign left a significant legacy, including his proposals, since fulfilled, that women be appointed to the Supreme Court and nominated for the vice presidency. He was 90. Full obituary
Notable deaths of 2012 (Walt Zeboski / Associated Press)

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The former king of Cambodia was a crafty political survivor whose fortunes were entwined with U.S. military involvement in Indochina. Long a symbol of Cambodian nationalism and independence, he was one of Southeast Asia’s most colorful statesmen. He was 89. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (David Van Der Veen / AFP / Getty Images)

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The longtime senator represented Pennsylvania for 30 years but perhaps was best known for his work in the Supreme Court nomination process. He was 82. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (Matthew Cavanaugh / EPA)

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Known by his nickname Punch, the visionary publisher of the New York Times overcame a reputation as the idle prince of a newspaper dynasty to become the Times’ fourth publisher. His most important decision was to publish the Pentagon Papers. He was 86. Full obituary

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With his silky voice and and casual style, the baritone most famous for his rendition of “Moon River” was one of America’s top vocalists from the 1950s into the 1970s. He was 84. Full obituary

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From humble beginnings as a ditch-digger in his native Chicago, Duncan rose to fame and earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a gentle death row inmate in the prison drama “The Green Mile.” He was 54. Full obituary

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The self-proclaimed Messiah from South Korea led the Unification Church, one of the most controversial religious movements to sweep America in the 1970s. Moon’s unorthodox movement was labeled a cult and featured mass marriage ceremonies. He was 92. Full obituary

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Known for her electrified hairdo and outlandish wardrobe, the zany housewife-turned-comedian made her comedy club debut at the age of 37. Famed for her self-deprecating jokes, Diller enjoyed a long career in clubs, movies and TV. She was 95. Full obituary

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Best known for adrenaline-filled movies including “Top Gun” and “Man on Fire,” the British director-producer made films centered on alpha-male action heroes. Scott died Aug. 19 after leaping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro. He was 68. Full obituary

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Writer of the bestselling 1962 book “Sex and the Single Girl,” Brown broke ground by discussing the sex life of single women. The book led to led to a syndicated newspaper column, a movie of the same name and, in 1965, to Brown’s role as editor of Cosmopolitan. She was 90. Full obituary

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One of the notorious murderers whose 1963 slaying of an LAPD officer near Bakersfield was chronicled in Joseph Wambaugh’s book “The Onion Field,” Powell spent the rest of his life in prison for the crime. The incident shattered the image of the invincible cop and changed police practices. He was 79. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

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The prolific composer won three Academy Awards for “The Way We Were” and “The Sting,” a Tony and a Pulitzer for “A Chorus Line” and four Emmys. Charming audiences with his improvisational agility, he was principal pops conductor for several major symphonies, including the Pasadena Symphony and Pops and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He was 68. Full obituary

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The iconoclastic author, savvy analyst and glorious gadfly of the national conscience was a literary juggernaut who wrote novels including “Lincoln” and the satirical “Myra Breckinridge.” His essays are considered among the most elegant in the English language. He was 86. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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The onetime underground Jewish fighter served four terms as Israeli prime minister in the 1980s and early ‘90s. His unyielding belief in the right of Jews to all of the biblical land of Israel often exasperated U.S. policymakers. He was 96. Full obituary

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A rare author and screenwriter whose works appealed to highbrow readers and mainstream movie-goers, Ephron wrote fiction that was distinguished by characters who seemed simultaneously normal and extraordinary. Her hit movies include “Sleepless in Seattle,” “When Harry Met Sally...” and “Julie & Julia.” She was 71. Full obituary

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Known for his colorful portraits of athletes in motion, the wildly successful American artist became an artistic fixture at such major sporting events as the Olympics and the Super Bowl. Neiman was also a longtime contributor to Playboy magazine. He was 91. Full obituary

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The tape of King’s 1991 beating and the upheaval that followed in 1992 opened the door to widespread police reform. King, who became an icon of the civil rights movement, was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool in Rialto. Authorities are investigating his death as an accidental drowning. He was 47. Full obituary

Notable deaths of 2012 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Best known for her Oscar-nominated supporting role as a blowsy barfly in the 1972 movie “Fat City,” Tyrrell’s film credits also included “Islands in the Stream,” “Angel,” and “Cry-Baby.” Critics “hailed her as one of the best screen drunks they’d ever seen,” Roderick Mann later wrote in The Times. She was 67. Full obituary

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The Nobel Prize-winning chemist, left, helped solve a longstanding problem in the manufacture of medicines. He led development of a chemical catalyst to create safe compounds for producing L-Dopa, a drug for treating Parkinson’s disease. He was 95. Full obituary

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The former head of Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry was an authoritarian who cracked down on political dissent. After a series of attacks inside the kingdom, he became a close Washington ally against Al Qaeda. He died just months after he was named heir apparent in the world’s leading oil power. He was 78. Full obituary

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Dubbed “one of the true powerhouses of the pop music business” by Fortune magazine in 1986, the year she became BMI’s president and chief executive, Frances Williams Preston was a key figure in Nashville’s growth as a major music center, and nurtured the careers of numerous songwriters. She was 83. Full obituary

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The onetime member of the Lucchese crime family turned government informant became the subject of the film classic “Goodfellas.” His crimes included participating in the largest single cash robbery in U.S. history and helping fix Boston College basketball games. He was 69. Full obituary

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The South African paleoanthropologist, nominated three times for a Nobel Prize, excavated the Sterkfontein Caves, one of his nation’s most important fossil sites. He was also part of the research on hominids in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, collaborating with a British archaeologist on the identification of one the early hominids, Homo habilis, in 1964. Tobias was 86. Full obituary

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The Fleetwood Mac guitarist and singer was with the band in the early 1970s when it was making the transition from British blues rock band to commercial powerhouse. His work on early albums such as “Future Games,” “Bare Trees” and “Heroes Are Hard to Find” with band mates who included Mick Fleetwood and John and Christie McVie set the tone for what was to come. He was 66. Full obituary

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With more than 27 novels and 600 short stories, the sci-fi writer’s vividly rendered space-scapes provided the world with one of the most enduring speculative blueprints for the future. In “The Martian Chronicles” and other works, the L.A.-based Bradbury mixed small-town familiarity with otherworldly settings. He was 91. Full obituary

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The World Savings Bank executive was one of the first women on Wall Street. She and husband Herbert spent 43 years building Oakland’s World Savings Bank into a major -- and ultimately controversial -- adjustable mortgage lender. She was 81. Full obituary

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The in-your-face rapper and bass player Adam Yauch, center, found fame in the transgressive, boundary-breaking trio the Beastie Boys. In later years, Yauch became a leading advocate for Tibetan independence. He was 47. Full obituary

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The star linebacker at USC and for his hometown San Diego Chargers made the Pro Bowl 12 years in a row and was voted All-Pro 10 times. He apparently ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 43. Full obituary

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Born Thomas Austin Preston Jr., the colorful and quotable Amarillo Slim won the World Series of Poker in 1972 and began promoting the game on TV and in books. He brought the game “out of the back alleys,” one expert said. He was 83. Full obituary

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By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times

July 18, 2012 10:14 AM PT

Joyce D. Miller, who rose from an assembly line job to the top ranks of American labor as the first woman on the AFL-CIO executive council, died June 30 in Washington. She was 84.

The cause was a stroke, said her daughter, Rebecca Miller.

Miller was an advocate for women in the workplace for more than three decades. A divorced mother of three, she worked her way up to leadership positions in the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America during the 1960s and ‘70s. As the women’s movement gathered strength, she helped found the Coalition of Labor Union Women in 1974 and became its president in 1977.

She was vice president of the clothing workers union in 1980 when she was elected to the 35-member executive board of the AFL-CIO, which sets policy for the labor federation.

She got there, she said, not by being strident or militant but by hard work and being “acceptable.”

“If you’re not acceptable, you can’t promote your ideas because you’ll just be dismissed,” she told the Associated Press in 1980. “Unless we’re part of the mainstream of labor, we’ll just be out on the street shouting.”

The AFL-CIO executive council broke with longstanding tradition to open its ranks to Miller. Under the federation’s longtime chief, George Meany, council membership was limited to presidents of its affiliated unions, all of which were headed by men, and no union could have more than one representative. The head of her union, Amalgamated Clothing Workers, already belonged to the council.

Miller was elected under Meany’s successor, Lane Kirkland. Her selection signaled that the AFL-CIO finally was recognizing that women, who were entering the workplace at a faster pace than men, were important to the labor movement.

During the 13 years Miller served on the AFL-CIO board, she advocated issues such as equal opportunity, equal pay, child care, parental leave and the rights of pregnant women in the workplace.

“She was a bulwark,” said Muriel Tuteur, a veteran labor activist who helped Miller launch the nation’s first union-sponsored day care center in Chicago in 1969. “She was a very strong personality and a very strong feminist. To help improve the quality of life for people, that’s what Joyce was all about.”

She was born Hannah Joyce Dannen in Chicago on June 19, 1928. Her father ran a dry goods store and her mother was a teacher at a school for the deaf, mute and blind.

Miller studied at the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1949 and a master’s in education in 1951. While a student she worked on the assembly line in a gum ball factory and joined the bakery and confectionery workers union.

She was working as an organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers when she married a fellow organizer, Jay Miller, in 1952. For the next decade she raised their three children and worked part-time as a teacher and union volunteer. Her marriage ended in divorce in 1964.

As education director of the clothing workers union, she helped organize a child-care program that the federal government later praised as the “the Rolls Royce of day care.” The project arose out of her personal experiences looking for quality child care when she returned to work.

“You just never know for sure whether someone was going to work out or not, and there was all that guilt,” she told The Times in 1980. “I remember one day going to work and leaving a new woman with my children. I came back at 6 p.m. and this woman was drunk.”

In 1972 the international union moved her to New York to start a nationwide social services program for its members. In 1974 she helped found the Coalition of Labor Union Women to strengthen the role of women in unions and of union women in the feminist movement.

She was vice president of the AFL-CIO and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union in 1993 when she was named executive director of the federal Glass Ceiling Commission under Robert Reich, President Clinton’s Labor secretary. She found that “not only was the ceiling still in place but it was often made of concrete rather than glass,” said Reich, who called Miller “one of the nation’s clearest and most powerful voices for the rights of working women.”

The commission gathered testimony from around the country on the challenges facing women and minorities who aspire to the executive suite. But Miller said she wanted to focus attention on barriers to mobility at every stage in the pipeline, including helping those at the bottom “with their feet stuck in the mud.”

In addition to her daughter Rebecca, Miller is survived by sons Joshua of Easton, Pa., and Adam of Marina del Rey; a brother; and two grandchildren.

elaine.woo@latimes.com