John Jeffers Miller passed away on Saturday (Apr 8, 2017) in Richmond, VA, surrounded by family.
Friends may call from 4 to 7 pm on Tue, Apr 18, at the Sanderson-Moore Funeral Home, Inc. 32 State St, Seneca Falls. A Graveside service with Military Honors will be Wednesday at 5 pm in Spring Brook Cemetery with the Rev. Sue Hadley, Pastor at the United Methodist Church of Seneca Falls, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Seneca Falls United Methodist Church, the Seneca Falls Library, or charity of your choice.
John was born Jun 19, 1919, in Pavonia, OH; oldest of 6 children (Raymond, Ruth, Rosemary, Phillip, and Kenneth) of John and Avis (Jeffers) Miller; he had two older half sisters (Belva and Vestal). He was Valedictorian and a 3 letter athlete at Congress High School (Ohio). John was a lifelong lover of the Cleveland Indians and baseball. He attended The Ohio State University after graduating high school. During WWII John served in the 6th Army 48th Ordnance Company from Apr 1942 to Dec 1945. During his service he was stationed in Australia, New Guinea, Philippines, and Japan. His Company was part of the Philippines invasion group and part of the initial occupation forces in Nagoya, Japan. John enrolled at the University of Toledo in January 1946 immediately upon his return to the States graduating in three years with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. John moved to Seneca Falls in 1951, working for Sylvania until his retirement in 1985. He had numerous individual and group patents accredited to him during his career with Sylvania. John met his true love Eloise Caldwell in Seneca Falls where they made their home and raised their family. Devoted to each other and to their family, they celebrated 56 years of marriage and were true life partners until her passing in Dec 2009. John was a longtime member of the United Methodist Church, serving in many capacities. He was active in the Rotary, including serving as president and was a Paul Harris Fellow.
John was active in the community, including serving on the Seneca Falls Planning Commission, delivering Meals on Wheels, supporting the Seneca Falls Library, the Seneca Falls Historical Society, and Eloise’s beloved Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2012 he moved to Midlothian, VA, to be closer to family. He stayed active walking around the neighborhood and loved watching his Cleveland Indians and college basketball. In 2016, he moved into The Hermitage Nursing Home, where he continued to share his warmth, kindness and belief in God and fellow residents and staff alike.
John is survived by daughters Marcia (Ronald) Webb, Sandra (John Veltri) Miller, and Rebecca Miller and granddaughters Katherine Webb, Kelley Drosgrey, and Taylor and Delaney Tsacoumis along with numerous nephews and nieces and many friends.