William Emil Miller Jr., retired Army colonel
Col. William Emil Miller, Jr., 73, a decorated Vietnam Army helicopter pilot, lost his battle with cancer Monday, Aug. 3, 2015.
Born in Baltimore, Md., he attended Towson High and the University of Baltimore. He met his wife of 50 years, Barbara, in Towson. Married in 1964, he left on his first tour of duty in Vietnam early in 1966 and returned for a second tour in 1968. It was there he earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Bronze Stars, along with numerous other medals and awards.
He returned home as an instructor pilot, flying helicopters and fixed wing airplanes at Triangle Airways in Laurel, Md. He had the pleasure of flying Bob Dylan and Santa Claus to their destinations.
Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and completed both Command & General Staff officer’s training and US Army War College. He steadily climbed the ranks of the military in the Active Reserve, stationed at Ft. Meade, Md. until his last posting as deputy assistant commandant at Ft. Rucker, Ala. Appropriately, the two Huey choppers he flew in Vietnam now flank the gates at Ft. Rucker. He retired as a colonel in 1994 and moved to Delaware.
After retirement, he worked for Boeing as a consultant. He also served as the building official in Dewey Beach from 1996 to 2001. Then, pursuing his passion for construction and remodeling, he spent time designing kitchens, including both daughters’ and his own.
Bill was blessed with the ability to fix anything, and enjoyed old cars and old boats. He restored a 1929 Ford Model A, a 1964½ Mustang convertible, and his latest project was his sailboat Vigilant, which the Millers enjoyed sailing off the shores of Lewes, where they lived for 22 years.
Bill and Barbara traveled extensively, visiting Egypt, China, England, Germany, France, and Italy. They also enjoyed excursions to Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean.
In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his sister, Elizabeth Miller Stevens. He is survived by his wife Barbara; and two daughters, Kimberly Miller of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Karen Miller of Baltimore, Md.; and one grandson, Lucas. He is also survived by brothers John Miller and Charles Miller, both of Roswell, Ga.; and sister Janet Denbow of Freeland, Md.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 10, at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, where friends may visit beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will be private.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Greenebaum Cancer Center. Checks should be made payable to the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc. (UMBF Inc.) and sent to the School of Medicine Office of Development at 31 S. Greene St., 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201.
Please visit Mr. Miller's Life Memorial webpage and sign his online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.
