Allen E. Simpson-Miller
June 16, 1933 – March 12, 2017
Allen Simpson-Miller died Sunday, March 12, 2017 at the Fountains of Canterbury. He is survived by his son, Chris Miller, his daughter, Danielle (Miller) Higginbotham, son-in-law, Jacob Higginbotham, grandchildren, Brynnlee Miller and Soren Higginbotham, and his former wife, JoAnn Simpson-Miller, nieces and nephews.
Allen was born in Hartland, Vermont to Pearl and Seldon Miller. He attended Hartland and Windsor, Vermont Schools. He graduated from Windsor High School in 1951. He worked for Cone Automatic Machine Tool Company before joining the Air Force. He proudly served in the Air Force from 1953-1957 during the Korean War as an engine chief B47 bombers. Following the military, he worked at the Correctional Center in Windsor and Montpelier, Vermont for 23 years. While in employment, he worked in a variety of positions, including Director of Institutional Industries. In 1979 he received an award for Highest Productivity per man hour within institutional industries in the nation. Allen and his wife moved to Oklahoma in 1981. He worked for the Oklahoma State Industries (OSI) designing and creating prototypes of office furniture, dormitory furniture, and various items for inmates to make to sell through the Corrections Department. Allen loved creating and redesigning machinery to improve productivity.
Storytelling was a gift of Allen’s. He was also a genius at inventing. Friends and neighbors knew that if they couldn’t figure out how to fix something, “Miller would know the answer!” He took pride in building: he welded, wood lathed, metal lathed, built houses, barns, decks, fixed cars and motorcycles, farmed and invented. Allen loved hunting and took several trips to Wyoming with friends to go elk hunting. While living in Vermont he belonged to the Ox Teamsters. Tony and Tiger were his prized Chianina oxen; they travelled many roads together to participate in parades and in fairs. Having difficulty finding yokes for his oxen, he created a machine to bend the wooden bows and other equipment to make the yokes.
His children, Chris and Danielle were cherished and deeply loved by Allen. The family had many adventures: boating on the lake, four wheeling at Little Sahara, participating in old motor shows, and taking numerous vacations to many parts of the U.S. Allen and his family took many trips back and forth from Vermont to Oklahoma, which he always commenced by playing Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” He played this song each and every trip!
He was predeceased by his parents, a sister, Virginia (Miller) Shepard Maxfield, three brothers, Darwin Miller, Dorrance Miller, and Vernon Miller.
Visitation will be from 6:00 – 8:00 PM on Monday, March 20th. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, March 21 at 2:00 PM at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research (www.michaeljfox.org) or mail: The Michael J. Fox Foundation, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.