L. William Miles

MILES L. William Miles, 70, of Milford, and formerly of Fairfield, died peacefully on Saturday, November 20, 2004, in Milford Hospital. Born in Ridley Park, Pa., on December 14, 1933, he attended Clifton Heights High School (Clifton, Pa.). His academic and athletic achievements earned him a basketball scholarship to Gettysburg College, where he graduated with a degree in business administration. He later earned a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. He began his career at IBM, where he joined the sales force as a trainee in 1955. Later that year, he was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and, after two years' service, received an honorable discharge at the rank of captain. He rejoined IBM and advanced to senior account representative before being tapped by corporate headquarters in 1963. A specialist in systems design, service, and the use of technology in management, he served first as director of contracts and licensing, and then as director of commercial development in charge of IBM's contract, patent, licensing, and acquisitions activities. In 1972, he left IBM to become chairman and chief executive officer of University Patents Inc., a company that acted as a licensing agent to help the development and commercialization of University-based inventions. In addition to taking University Patents public, he orchestrated the creation of University Genetics, University Communications, and University Optics. He later became president and chief executive officer of USET Inc., a service company involved in patented and patentable inventions and their commercial potential via licensing programs. In 1992, he joined Fairfield University as vice president for administration, with responsibilities that included technology, telecommunications, energy management, the physical plant, human resources, athletics, and grants and sponsored programs. In 2000, he left Fairfield and became chief licensing officer of A2D. During his later career, he served as an expert witness on several high-profile patent infringement cases, applying his expertise in technology transfer. Elected to Fairfield University's Board of Trustees in 1973, he served as its chairman from 1978 to 1989. In 1981, the Fairfield University Alumni Association named him an honorary alumnus and, in 1989, the University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. In 1992, he received one of 50 Jubilee Medals awarded by Fairfield University on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. He also served on the Boards of the Center for Financial Studies, Constar International, and the Bouton Corporation, and was a member of the Licensing Executives Society and the National Association of Corporate Directors. He was also a Knight of Malta. Throughout his career, he earned the respect of those with whom he worked and the loyalty of those who worked for him. Generous to a fault, he performed quiet acts of kindness and supported without fanfare the causes in which he believed. Throughout his life, he remained an avid sports fan. He did his share of coaching youth ball while his children were young, and rarely missed a grandchild's sporting event. When it came to Fairfield University athletics, he was passionate - as anyone within earshot of his from-the-sidelines refereeing can attest. Despite the demands of business and the competitive streak that energized him, he never lost sight of the values that grounded him and the family life that sustained him. He was predeceased by his first wife, Patricia (MacMorran), who died in June 1994, and is survived by his second wife, Barbara (Brown), who brought great joy to his life these past two years. He is also survived by his and Pat's six children, and 11 grandchildren: Janice Miles Dunn of Fairfield and her children, Kelly, Jeffrey, and Colleen Dunn; William D. Miles of Washington, D.C.; David Miles and his wife, Joan, of Newtown, and their children Tyler, Jordan, and Devon; Michael Miles and his wife, Mary Ann, of Easton, and their children Michael, Nicole, and Alison; Daniel Miles and his wife, Ann Marie, of Dover, Mass., and their children Declan and Abigail; and Patricia Miles Pereira and her husband, Greg, of Shelton. Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, November 27, at 9 a.m. at Fairfield University's Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, with the Rev. Paul E. Carrier, S.J., officiating. Interment will be the Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Spear Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the L. William Miles Scholarship, c/o Development Office, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824. To offer an on-line condolence please visit www.spearfuneralhome.com