Joseph R. Miller

Joseph R. Miller, 71, of Frederick passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, at home after an 8-year battle with Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), a rare neurological disease which he endured with strength, humility and courage. He was the loving husband of Sally Stull Miller and is survived by two sons, Nicholas Miller and his husband Alejandro Quintana of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Michael Miller of Baltimore, Maryland. Sally was able to lovingly care for him at their home until his passing where he was surrounded by his immediate family.

He was born Oct. 19, 1949 in Frederick, MD, to the parents of Edith Fetty Miller and William E. Miller. He grew up in Feagaville, MD, and graduated from Frederick High School. Throughout his adult life he developed many interests and showed curiosity for a myriad of subjects. He was mechanically inclined, had an early interest in electronics, was a good problem solver, and could fix just about anything. He took pride in being an independent thinker. Most of all, he will be remembered as being a kind, generous and humble man.

Joe began his career as an instrumentation specialist with the Mitre Corporation. He soon transitioned to Ft. Detrick, MD, where he became Manager of Facilities Maintenance, Cancer Research Center, SAIC. Later, he developed a career in project management where he specialized in the construction of advanced medical research facilities. This included work with NIST, Smith Management Construction, CUH2A. He helped lead the construction of one of the latest medical research facilities on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus and then ended his career as a project manager for USAMRIID's newest biomedical facility at Ft. Detrick.

Over the years, Joe built two houses for his family. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of being outside in nature and spending time on his land along the Monocacy River. In his early adult life, he was an accomplished French Horn player. Later in life, he developed a deep affection for boats. He loved spending time on the water and learning about boat construction. Just prior to the onset of his illness, he became an avid cycler and was constantly tearing up the back roads of Frederick County. During this period of his life he also developed care and concern for progressive social and political issues. Joe showed unconditional love for his family and will be deeply missed.

A private memorial service for invited guests will be held at Hartzler Funeral Home, Woodsboro, MD. A live video stream of the service will be available for the public to view on Sunday, December 6 at 2:00 p.m. by navigating to Joe's obituary and "tribute wall" on the Hartzler Funeral Home website, www.hartzlerfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Frederick Health Hospice, P.O. Box 1799, Frederick, MD 21702 and/or Defeat MSA Alliance, https://defeatmsa.org/donate-to-us/