Trudeau, Sandi "Adi" (Miller)
Sandi “Adi” (Miller) Trudeau peacefully passed away in her sleep Sunday, April 25, 2021 in Berlin, Maryland after a yearlong battle with dementia and lasting effects from Covid-19. She was a trailblazer and a truly authentic person who overcame many personal obstacles in her life, and was deeply loved by her family, friends, and many pets.
Sandi was born on January 18, 1947 in Waterbury, Connecticut to parents Margaret “Oma” Armbruster and Earl “Pa” Miller. Her family settled on the Miller family farm in Avon, Connecticut where her parents began raising chickens and selling eggs door-to-door and were known for their fresh Miller Poultry Farm turkeys. In high school, she ran track and was enrolled in advanced academic classes. After graduating and having her daughter, she joined her family business where she worked for more than 50 years alongside her sister Cal. Sandi served as President of Miller Foods, Inc. for many decades after the sudden loss of her parents in the late 1980's. With the family's deep roots in the food industry, she used both her knowledge of premium products and love of animals to help create Oma's Pride, an all-natural pet food. She believed raw, unprocessed foods were integral to the health and happiness of pets. Sandi was an early pioneer and advocate for the raw feeding philosophy of cats and dogs in the USA. Her philosophy and passion built the foundation of the company which continues to grow and thrive today, now in its fourth generation. Sandi enjoyed gardening, gourmet cooking and dining, baking, painting and drawing, music, supporting numerous philanthropic causes and lobster feasts. She loved spending time with her daughter and four grandsons at her lake house in the Berkshires, and her retirement home in Clinton, Connecticut prior to her last grand adventure in Berlin, Maryland.
She will be deeply missed by her loving daughter, Capri Brighenti and son-in-law John; grandsons Nick, Adam, EJ, and Brett; granddaughter-in-law, Kathryn; her dogs, the “Chubby Brothers” and grand dogs, Dallas and Duke; “her son”, Rob Johnson; sister Carolyn “Cal” Miller-Stevens and brother-in-law, Sam; along with her nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, and longtime employees and customers. Per her wishes, she was also married to the late David M. Trudeau of East Otis, Massachusetts, and Frank “Chuck” E. Nascimbeni, Jr. of Salisbury, Maryland.
Capri would like to thank all her loving caregivers throughout the years who have been there through many of her hardest times and health issues. Your love and concern for my mother are most appreciated and will never be forgotten.
For those who share Sandi's passion for animal welfare and wish to honor her legacy, donations to Paws Pride, 501(c)(3), are greatly appreciated and may be sent to 308 Arch Road, Avon, CT 06001 or submitted online at pawspride.org. The other organizations that were important to her also included the Rotary Club of Avon- Canton, the Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington, CT, The Village for Families and Children in Hartford, CT and the Hartford Public Library in Hartford, CT.
A Joyous Celebration of Sandi's life is planned for June 25, 2021 at the Avon Old Farms Hotel, 279 Avon Mountain Road, Avon @ 5:00 pm when an opportunity to share memories will begin the evening followed by a special dinner of Sandi's favorite foods with time to visit with friends and her family. All arrangements are being made by the Carmon Funeral Home & Family Center of Avon. For additional information and condolences please visit www. carmonfuneralhome.com.