1978 Miller-Meteor Hearse

I am writing to find out if anyone has any information concerning the current whereabouts of a hearse that appears in a photo in The Professional Car, Number 145, 3rd Quarter 2012. On page 28 of that issue, the upper photo shows a 1953 Henney Junior at the 1997 PCS International Meet. To the right of the Henney Junior is another hearse-the one I'm wondering about. It appears to be a 1978 Miller Meteor Limousine-style hearse with a Norman Gray body and black hard top with white window curtains. When I first began working in the funeral profession, the firm I worked for-Raymond Funeral Home in Norwalk, CT-owned a hearse that looked exactly like this. This color scheme was quite distinctive and unique to Raymond Funeral Home. In fact, Raymond's other vehicles (3 Pontiac station wagons) were all painted in the same style-Norman Gray bodies with black roofs. In approximately 1987, the then new owner of Raymond Funeral Home sold the 1978 Miller Meteor Limousine-style hearse to a funeral home in Bridgeport, CT (I don't recall their name). From there, I don't know where the hearse went. So, when I saw the photo in TPC, it stirred my interest in seeing if the hearse in the background was the same hearse I drove when I first became a funeral director. Does any PCS member know if it is still around? Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. It would be great to see that hearse again.

Hi Peter,
First of al, welcome aboard.

You seem to know the hearse very well! I owned it from 1997 until late 1998, or so. I bought it from the funeral home in Bridgeport. In 1997, we won a first place award with the hearse at the PCS Meet, although it was a beautiful car, I was very surprised at the award. We subsequently sold the car to a couple who lived in Morristown, NJ and I lost track of it from there. I sure hope that it has survived the years, it was one beautiful hearse.

Thanks for the information, Bill. It was great to see the pictures of that hearse-it was like seeing an old friend after many years. I drove it for many funerals (and as an apprentice, hand-washed and dried it many times as well!). I was sad to see it go from Raymond's, but I was able to keep the Miller-Meteor key chain that came with it from the factory. The limousine-style is a favorite of mine, and has stuck with me to this day. A few years ago I finally purchased this style (a 2005 S&S Medalist) for my funeral home in Cooperstown, NY.

Would you be able to share with me who you sold the '78 hearse to in New Jersey? It would be interesting to follow-up with them to find out it's current status.

Peter Deysenroth

Peter, I would gladly tell you their name, if I could only remember it. The only info I remember is that they live just off of Rte 287 in Morristown near George Washington's headquarters. As crazy as it might seem, for some reason I keep thinking their last name is Miller, but I am not sure.

This car was by far the cleanest professional car that I have owned and there have been many others. There are several I wish I kept, this car is one of them. In Baltimore, Kent Dorsey wanted to trade me his 1973, I know he loved the car too!