Don F. Miller

Don F. Miller

1924-2021

Don F. Miller, age 97, of Edmond, Oklahoma passed away at home in the dawn of June 6, 2021.  Don fought a valiant fight against lung cancer. He is survived at home by his wife, Georgia N. (Smith) Miller.  He enjoyed mostly good days until his last month where he began to slowly show the effects of his disease process.  He was surrounded by his wife, family and care givers.  He peacefully slipped into the arms of Jesus. He was administered final sacraments and prayer by Father Anthony Moon.

Don was born in Okeene, Ok on June 2, 1924, to JB Miller and Medah (Schertzer) Miller.  He lived in many locations in Oklahoma as a child, where his father was a home builder and lumberman. Don attended high school in Enid, OK and graduated in 1942.  Don enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943.  He was an aviation machine gunner, as well as becoming an instructor at the Army’s Las Vegas Desert facility.  After returning from Las Vegas, he married his wife, Georgia N. Miller in 1946. Don continued his education in architecture at Oklahoma A&M, now known as Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Ok.  During his time there, Don built a home near the campus, which stood until recently when it was torn down to make room for university expansion. Don left college to enter the lumber and building business. He spent 28 years working in various capacities with Long-Bell Lumber.  This company was eventually purchased by International Paper Company.  Don continued his career with International Paper as a wholesale distribution center manager in Kansas City, Ks and Wichita, Ks.  He retired from his last position in Wichita after a total of 33 years in the lumber business.  He then started his own company. It was called Building Materials Distributors with sales and installation of windows and fireplace units.   Don finalized this business and moved with Georgia to Edmond, Ok in 2005 to be near family.  During his time in Edmond, Don obtained a job with Lowe’s on 2^nd Street.  He worked for them for 8 years.  They asked him where he would be comfortable working in the store, and he told them that he knew everything about every part of the building material business.  He offered to work where they needed him.  They chose the plumbing department and during his time at Lowe’s, Don worked 25 hours per week and took care of 2 plumbing aisles.  He helped many people, especially those who knew nothing about plumbing.  He was presented an MVP award in June of 2018, for his outstanding work.  Don worked at Lowe’s into his 95^th year.  The previous Edmond Sun wrote an in-depth article about his life and work at Lowe’s when he was 94 years old. Don and Georgia were interviewed for an in depth study of longevity in Oklahoma marriages.  The compiled data is used today in course study at OSU.  At his passing, Don and Georgia were only 2 months short of celebrating their 75^th wedding anniversary.  Don enjoyed going on fishing trips with his son and grandsons in his free time. Don was a member of of the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Wichita Kansas.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, JB and Medah (Schertzer) Miller and his brother Carl Miller, of Arizona.  The surviving family includes his 3 children; David (Donna) Miller of Newton, Ks., Robert (Carolyn) Miller of Edmond, Ok and Michael Grey (Brian McCullough) of Seattle, Wa.  Don and Georgia have 6 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

The family will schedule a celebration of life service for family members in the near future.  This will be officiated by Father Anthony Moon, Episcopal priest. His final resting place will be the Memorial Park Cemetery in Enid, Ok.