Margaret Miley Obituary

Margaret Miley, loving wife, devoted mother, aunt, gardener and tireless advocate for economic justice died on the evening of July 17 after a lengthy series of illnesses.

She leaves her husband, Harry Shanley and two children, Colin Shanley and Fiona Miley; brothers Daniel, James and John; sisters Ann, Jean, Mary and Ellen; and five nieces and ten nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, Daniel Miley and Mary Witham Miley.

Born in Arlington, MA in 1961, Margaret grew up in Lexington in a loving and busy household with her parents and seven siblings in a house built by her father. She was instilled with a strong sense of family, community and justice, values which would guide her throughout her life and career.

In 1980 she entered the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she met her future husband and majored in economics. During her time at UMass, she volunteered at OXFAM and Casa Latina while working multiple jobs to earn tuition. She formed many friendships there that last to this day. She earned a master's degree in Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University, which provided a foundation for her long career in many roles, all dedicated to economic justice and poverty reduction.

At the Coalition for a Better Acre, she worked with business startups and assisted with affordable housing development in Lowell. While at Acre Family Day Care, a spinoff from CBA, she piloted a program to provide individual development accounts (IDAs), which provide matched savings to encourage personal asset building for low-and moderate-income clients. In 1999 she went on to form the MIDAS collaborative, a statewide network of local organizations, to bring the IDA concept to individuals and small businesses across Massachusetts, as well as providing economic literacy training and technical assistance to small businesses. In 2019 she joined the Cooperative Development Institute, a nonprofit agency supporting the establishment and operation of consumer- and employee-owned businesses and housing throughout New England.



Her passions outside work included outdoor activities - gardening, cross-country skiing, cycling, hiking, camping and enjoying nature. Her flower garden is admired by passersby throughout the season. She and her family enjoyed spending time on the Maine coast.

She retired in 2024 due to failing health. During her illness she sought ways to help those around her and stayed in contact with friends, colleagues and family.

In 2024 she advocated in favor of the End of Life Options Act in Massachusetts, which would have made medical aid in dying a legal option in Massachusetts. When that bill failed to become law, she made plans to access medical aid in dying in Vermont. To the surprise of nobody who knew her, she chose the timing and manner of her end, and faced it with courage and determination. She was with her husband, two children and one sister at the time of her peaceful passing.

A ceremony to celebrate her life will be held on August 16 at 2 PM at First Church Unitarian in Littleton, Massachusetts. Donations may be made in Margaret's name in lieu of flowers to the MIDAS Collaborative (www.midascollab.org).