James Keene Miller

James Keene Miller passed away at home in the company of family members on Friday, August 10, 2012, at the age of 80. He is survived and deeply loved, admired and respected by his cherished wife, Gail, and his eight children. Jim has five sons: Gregory & wife Beverly, Mark & wife Mary Beth, Paul & wife Jaime, Steven & wife Kelly, and Sean & wife Carol. And he has three daughters: Jennifer Mestayer & husband Mark, Claudia Blackburn & husband Scott, and Teresa Glennon & husband Greg. He has 18 grandchildren. The Millers are: Victoria, Payton, & Benjamin; Kathryn, Rebecca, Melissa, & Emily; Michael Paul; and Keene. The others are: Gabrielle Perrine, Audrey Furnas and husband Jay, Rachel Haney, Donnie Haney, Chris Mestayer, Brandi Meyers and husband Brian, Katherine Blackburn, Austin Glennon and Taylor Glennon. Jim graduated high school from Millersburg Military Institute with the highest honors the school had seen since its founding. He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and went to work for Dow Chemical Co. in Freeport, TX for a year before going to Officer Candidate School and graduating as a Second Lieutenant in the top 10 percent of his class. He then became an instructor at the Artillery & Guided Missile Center in Fort Sill, OK. In 1955 he married Gail Eder in Cincinnati. During that time he invented a cycloramic stereoptic movie system and patented it. He went back to Dow and coauthored a patent for the synthesis of Hexamethylphosphorcitriamide (Darcol). Dow built a plant using the applications Jim developed. Dow put together a half German-owned company, Dow Badische, to work with these chemicals and Jim became production manager for acrylic acids, acrylates and caprolactam. He moved with his growing family to Baton Rouge in 1969 where he worked at Dow Chemical in Plaquemine. There he was simultaneously manager of shipping & railroads, all barge traffic, computers (in the plant and in the accounting department), and he managed the purchasing department. Jim designed Dow's first computer order entry system at the Dow office in Chicago. After 20 years he left Dow to go into business as Vice President of Edelman Systems and equal-share owner with two partners. Later he started his own computer business, Advanced Methods. A talented musician, Jim played in a band in Cincinnati and in Ft. Sill. He also played the organ at the Chapel in Ft. Sill (OK), St. Timothy's (TX), and in Baton Rouge at St. Louis King of France and St. Thomas More. He directed the choir in three churches. In support of his community he was a cub master and taught CCD to high school students in Lake Jackson. He was also in several Baton Rouge Little Theater plays and musicals. He played dinner music in several local restaurants including the Country Club of Louisiana and he sang in the church and resurrection choirs for St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy, from 5 p.m. to 8pm Monday, August 13, 2012. A eulogy will be said on Tuesday, August 14, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1pm, officiated by Rev. Tom Duhe. To leave condolences to the family, please visit www.resthavenbatonrouge.com.