William F. "Bill" Miller III

1948 - 2019

William F. "Bill" Miller, III age 70 of Fernandina Beach, Florida passed away on Monday, February 25, 2019 at Baptist Medical Center- Nassau.

He was born on May 10, 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia to the late William Flynn Miller, Jr. and Carolyn Morrison Miller. His family moved to Fernandina Beach when he was a baby where he grew up and graduated from Fernandina Beach High School, Class of 1966. Bill was always athletic and excelled at baseball starting in high school. After graduation, he attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and then graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors degree in Forestry. While at UGA, he lettered in Baseball and was in Sigma Chi fraternity.

In 1972 Bill met the former Nancy Ritch in Jesup, Georgia and they married in 1973. His employment as a Forester had the family residing all over the Southeast. For 33 years, Bill worked for Union Camp Corporation and International Paper in various jobs including Regional Manager in Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia. Most recently he was the Vice President of Forest Operations for F & W Forestry Services. He served as the President of the Georgia Forestry Association and also of the UGA Warnell Alumni Association and Big Jay Hook. He was a member of the Society of American Foresters and was elected SAFellow in 2012. He was inducted into the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame in 2012. Bill was also an officer in the Georgia Army National Guard.

Bill and Nancy returned back to Fernandina Beach in 2011 where he enjoyed "semi retirement" playing tennis, watching any and all sports and Georgia Bulldog football. He was a member of the Kraft Tennis Club and the "Council Group" which consisted of gentlemen from "Old" Fernandina who would gather together every morning for coffee at the high school baseball field. He was an active member of First Baptist Church and the Joy Sunday School Class.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents.

He leaves behind his wife, Nancy R. Miller of Fernandina Beach, Florida; children, Carrie Miller Molinari and her husband Steve of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Katie Miller Bennett of Macon, Georgia, Flynn Miller IV and his wife Brook of Athens, Georgia; grandchildren, Drew, Dean and Kate Molinari, Libby and Davey Bennett, Wills and Doss Miller; sisters, Marilyn Miller of Jacksonville, Florida, Marcia Vincent of McDonough, Georgia, Jan (Bill) Henning of Oxford, Mississippi, Julia (Mike) Burch of Jesup, Georgia; brother-in-law, Tom and Ashlyn Ritch of Rome, Georgia, sister-in-law, Anne and Mark Miller of Jesup, Georgia. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at First Baptist Church with Pastor Zach Terry officiating.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until the hour of service at the church.

He will be laid to rest in Bosque Bello Cemetery.

Donations may be made in his memory to First Baptist Church, 1600 8th Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034.

Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com

OXLEY-HEARD FUNERAL DIRECTORS