Myron Miller's Obituary
Myron “Mike” Miller, 99, died peacefully on January 19 at a hospital in Boston. He was born October 6, 1918 to the late Benjamin and Sadie (Teitelbaum) Miller. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife, Molly; sisters Sally Seigel and Alice Goldin; brother, Lewis; and daughter, Bonnie Lee.Mike grew up in Ohio. Surrounded by sisters, he had a knack for causing trouble. Whether it was burning down a chicken coop at camp or painting his sister’s brand new red bicycle a charming shade of black, Mike developed a sense of humor and intellectual curiosity as a child that stayed with him throughout his lifetime.Mike received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology and served as an engineer with the Departments of Navy and Army from 1941 to 1957. From 1957 to 1965 he supported the development of weapons systems as a technical advisor for the Martin Company, and later the Raytheon Company. He returned to government service in 1965 to support the Department of Commerce’s Federal Railroad Administration. While there, Mike was instrumental in planning for the establishment of the Department of Transportation, which he joined upon its inception in 1967 and served until his retirement in 1975.During his career, Mike was repeatedly recognized for exceptional service. In 1955, he received a Meritorious Civilian Service Award for inventions that improved underwater warfare technology. In 1971, he received a Meritorious Achievement Award for his leadership, responsibility, and personal contribution to the successful completion of the Northeast Corridor Transportation Project—which led to policies that improved rail and other modes of transportation in the Washington-Boston corridor in the 1970s and 1980s. Later, he received a Special Achievement Award for contributions that strengthened the Department of Transportation’s role in the energy crisis, and finally a Distinguished Career Service Award upon his retirement.After retiring, Mike and Molly split time between Sharpsburg, MD, and Fort Myers, FL. They traveled to Maine and elsewhere, trailer in tow, to vacation in various campgrounds. Mike had a passion for woodworking and sculpture, rock tumbling, and playing tennis. He kept his interest in technology alive when personal computers became available—in his 80s—avidly learning to use Microsoft Windows, Office, and the Internet. And he was constantly solving problems. When the tremor in his hand, caused by Parkinson’s Disease, resulted in erroneous clicks of the mouse, Mike engineered a device that would attach to a computer mouse to stabilize the hand.After 68 years of marriage, Molly passed away in 2011. After that time, Mike lived fulltime in Boston with his loving daughter Sandy and her devoted partner Tom. Mike maintained a keen interest in current events and politics, discussed the latest political news (and good food he’d eaten lately) in routine check-ins with his sisters, and hosted visits from his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mike read constantly, and as his eyesight deteriorated he began checking out books on tape from the Perkins School for the Blind—reading 276 books over 2 years. Many were non-fiction, and he particularly enjoyed books about the prominent figures and periods in history over the course of his lifetime, which reminded him of his experiences over 99 years.Mike is survived by a sister, Dorothy Bailys of Los Angeles, CA; daughter, Sandy L. Miller and Tom Hardcastle of Wollaston, MA; son-in-law, Philip Lee of Ijamsville, MD; grandchildren, Joe Lapchick, Chamy Filoramo and her husband Michael, Adam Lee and his wife Holly, Caitlin Lee, and Alex Lee; and great-grandchildren Taylor Filoramo, Emma Filoramo, Molly Lapchick, Lauren Lapchick, Miller Lee, and Georgia Lee.A Memorial Service for Myron will be celebrated at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 inside the Chapel at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33904, (239) 936-0555. Guests are invited for Visitation for an hour preceding this service beginning at 1:00 PM also inside the funeral home chapel. At the conclusion of these ceremonies, friends and guests will recess to adjacent Memorial Gardens Cemetery where Myron will be laid to rest alongside his beloved late wife Molly in the Gan Shalom section.To share a photo or story, leave a tribute or to offer condolences to his family at this difficult time, please visit Myron’s memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com and sign his guestbook.
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