PHILIP WINN MILLER

Philip Winn Miller, teacher, poet, husband and father, age 67, of Mt. Union, Pennsylvania, passed peacefully early Monday morning, February 14, 2011, at home with his family.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, May 21, 1943, to Richard M. and Alveretta J. Miller, he received a BA in English and Psychology, and a MA in English from Emporia State University in 1966 where he studied under Keith Denniston.
Miller taught at Kansas City Kansas Community College from 1976 until 2002. While at KCKCC, he coordinated the college's Basic English program for over 20 years; he served as professor of English and taught creative writing, composition and American literature.
Miller was a longtime resident of Kansas City. He was a founding member of The Writers Place and he co-founded and directed the Riverfront Reading Series. In 2004, he retired to Mt. Union, where he edited The Same magazine, was co-director of the Aughwick Poet and Writers Reading Series and was a board member on the Huntingdon County Arts Council.
Miller's works appeared or are forthcoming in a number of journals. He edited and co-edited numerous publications throughout his career. He had many books of poetry published.
He is survived by his loving wife Nancy, his beloved Scottie-Dachshund Milton, his children, Kevin, Darren & Khris, Meredith & Darick, Alison & Brent and Jaime and his grandchildren, Ryan, Alec, Philip Brooks, Charlie, Nicole, Owen, Hattie, Ella, Rhys, Andrew, Ian and Lily.
Miller gifted his body to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Human Gift Registry. His family will hold a memorial gathering at a later date. The family requests that remembrances be payable to The Philip W. Miller Memorial Scholarship Trust at Clearfield Bank and Trust, 16 West Shirley St, Mount Union, PA 17066,(814) 542-2591. The scholarship will be awarded to future English majors.
The family expresses great appreciation to his many caregivers especially those from the Home Nursing Agency and Hospice of Huntingdon County, PA.
Life after Death
It isn't so bad, you know,
now that I've packed my bags.
I get along on my own,
pay my rent, hold down
a small job, have a friend
or two, at a distance, of course.
Look, there are my shoes
beside my bed, ready for action,
ready to walk whichever direction.
Who knows, this may be it.
(by Philip Miller, from his forthcoming collection, The Ghost of Every Day and Other Poems, to be published by Spartan Press, Kansas City, MO.)