Paul Miller

MILLER Paul Everett, 92, died surrounded by his family on June 27, 2014 at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He was born in Middleport, Ohio on January 1, 1922, the son of Edward and Gertrude Miller. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years Georgia Samples Miller, his grandson, Christopher William Stuck, his brother Louis Joseph Miller and beloved sister-in-law Anna Dean Miller. He is survived by his wife, Judith Keller Sebastian Miller, his daughter, Beverly Miller Stuck, (Jim), Jacksonville, Beach, FL, his son, John Paul Miller, Sr. (Judy), his step son Wilson Sebastian, III, his step daughter, Emory Keller Sebastian, his brother, Dr. John Miller, Charleston, WV and his first wife and mother of his children, Eleaner Byard, Jacksonville Beach, FL. His grandchildren, Clark Carlisle Stuck, (Gail), Jacksonville Beach, FL, Leigh Channing Miller Fisher, (Joe), Nashville, TN, Mary Miller Abergel, (Rakefet), Los Angeles, CA, John Paul Miller, Jr., (Aimee), Taylor O'Neal Miller, (Ki), Los Angeles, CA. His eight great grandchildren, Tyler Jameson Stuck, Trevor Anderson Stuck, Hannah Clair Fisher, McKenzie Channing Fisher, Ryan Joseph Fisher, Charles Arthur Fisher, Lauren Amelia Miller and Paul Everett Miller, II. His family moved to Charleston, West Virginia where he grew up and began working at an early age in various sales positions. At age 14, he worked as a newspaper carrier for the Charleston Gazette, and was quickly recognized for his business acumen, receiving many awards. By age 19, he was the Gazette's youngest district sales manager. He entered the United States Air Corps in December, 1942 as a cadette, and later served as a Second Lieutenant and a pilot instructor during World War II. He flew P-51 Mustangs and B-29 Bombers, which secured his love for flying. His passion for flying continued throughout his life. Following the war, he began selling cars in Charleston for Mr. Fred Beasley, who owned several automobile dealerships in the region. Mr. Beasley was his mentor and admired him for his work ethic. Over the years, he worked his way up the ranks of Mr. Beasley's company. In October 1953, he was asked to fly a group of businessmen to Lexington, and as he flew them over Main Street, he was told there was a Ford dealership below that he would soon manage and operate. He did, and in a short time, it became his dealership, which he named Paul Miller Ford. In 1965, when the dealership outgrew its downtown location, Mr. Miller moved Paul Miller Ford to 975 East New Circle Road, where it remains to this day. In 1980 he began purchasing land adjacent to the New Circle Road location and developed the Fortune Business Centre. He was one of the largest employers in our community, providing jobs for thousands of employees during his lifetime. During the 1980s, Mr. Miller owned multiple dealerships in Central KY and Nashville, TN. He officially retired from business in January, 2013 Mr. Miller received numerous awards during his lifetime, most recently the highly prestigious "Salute to Dealers" award on February 4, 2011 in San Francisco, CA, from Edsel Ford for his service to the Ford Motor Company. He was honored for his generous support of the Child Development Center with a banquet at the Radisson Hotel in Lexington. He won the 1975 Sports Illustrated/ATD Truck Dealer of the year award at the Convention of the American Truck Dealers Division of NADA. In 1977, the dealership was named Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award Winner. At that time, Paul Miller Ford was Ford Motor Company's largest single point location dealership in the country. A charter member and board member of the United Cerebral Palsy of the Bluegrass, he served on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, Sanders Brown Center on Aging, the Alzheimer's Association, YMCA, Salvation Army, Chamber of Commerce,and the Better Business Bureau. He was a University of Kentucky Fellow, a member of the President's Council at Transylvania University and served on the board of directors of Midway College. In 2005 Mr. and Mrs. Miller established the Paul E. and Judith Sebastian Miller Scholarship Fund providing scholarships for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Mr. Miller began supplying the University of Kentucky Coaches and Assistant Coaches with Ford automobiles when Adolf Rupp was coaching. This tradition continue's today. Throughout the years he furnished vans and cars for the Child Development Center, United Cerebral Palsy, Girl Scouts of America and Cardinal Hill Hospital. He served on the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association (KADA) board of directors and is past President of the Lexington Auto Dealers Association. He was the Kentucky representative for Legal and Governmental Affairs for Ford Dealers and a member of the District Dealers Relation Committee, he also served on the National Dealer Council for the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Miller's main hobby was golf, traveling on many golf trips with his friends in the States and overseas, playing golf with celebrities in Palm Springs, CA, where he still maintains a home. He enjoyed playing with Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dale Robertson and especially enjoyed going to Frank's house for parties following the tournaments. He also enjoyed playing with his friends at the Lexington Country Club through the years, maintaining life long friendships with Pete Pederson, Joe Kennedy, Don Jacobs and John Palumbo. His other hobbies were flying, fishing, horse racing, gin rummy, backgammon and gambling in Vegas He and his close friends C.B. McEachin and J.W. Davis went into various business ventures in South America providing all with humorous stories and little profit. Mr. Miller was a committed family man, devoted to the care and well being of his family throughout his life. He was a great story teller and enjoyed a keen sense of humor and a quick wit which made him a favorite of many. He was a member of the Lexington Country Club, the Idle Hour Country Club, the Lexington Club, the Keeneland Club and the Thoroughbred Club. A Service of Christian Burial will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, 166 Market Street in Lexington on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at 10:30am. Following the service the burial will be held at the Lexington Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Hospice of the Bluegrass, 2312 Alexandria Drive, Lexington, Kentucky 40504. Milward-Broadway is in charge of arrangements. www.milwardfuneral.com