Mark Thompson Miller, Jr.

Mark Thompson Miller, Jr., 77, of Louisville, KY, a.k.a. Tom, Dad, and most frequently "Pop," passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at U of L Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY of heart failure. Born June 7, 1946 in Oak Hill, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Mark Thompson Miller, Sr. and Frances Ora Gill Miller. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jane Abruzzino Miller, and three sons, Marc Christopher "Chris" (Dana), Aaron (Susan), and Andrew (Emily), as well as 7 grandchildren (Maggie, Charlie, Lorelai, Caroline, Lucas, Catherine, and EmmaLee). He loved his grandchildren more than anything and spent many weekend mornings making them waffles or picking them up after school and taking them for coffee or sodas. His three sons are still waiting for their waffles and sodas.

His career was spent primarily in the building materials industry, as a sales rep for a large distributor, a manager for that same company (the role which brought him to Louisville in 1978), and later as a manufacturer's representative for many companies, large and small, as the head of Miller Sales and Marketing.

Tom was a social fellow and leaves behind countless friends all over the country. He was active in his neighborhood, volunteering on many committees, and was always eager to share a glass of whiskey or a tall tale with anyone at any time.

He and Jane were active travelers, especially in their retirement years, and took numerous trips and cruises all over the world. His last trip in 2023 involved hiking between small country towns in the U.K. They often traveled with friends in packs of 4 or 6 or 20 and made wonderful memories. His favorite places on earth were Canaan Valley, West Virginia and Sienna, Italy.

If you asked Tom, "Do you know how to fix _____?" or "Do you think we could build _____?" his answer was "yes" 100% of the time, although he was lying approximately 10% of the time with the assumption that we could figure it out (which was true 99% of the time). Accomplishments included decks, garages, garbage disposals, countless ceiling fans and light fixtures, floors, and tile. If you ever needed a random piece of wood or screw, he had it in one of hundreds of boxes or coffee cans in the garage or basement.

On that note, if you need a cable for any electronic device from 1970 to today, he probably has one of those as well.

When he was frustrated, which could be a regular occurrence, he knew how to utter the phrase "God-D@$#!t" in a special way, with a delightful pause in the middle. Causes of frustration often involved being unable to find his tools which had been loaned to a son, or the magical way his wife would hide his possessions in the wrong drawer or cabinet.

A celebration of his life will take place in the coming weeks. As Tom was a heavy user of our library system, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation at https://www.lfplfoundation.org/donate-givebutter. If you click "give in honor/memory," for donations of $100 or more, a bookplate memorializing Tom will be placed in a new book, creating a lasting tribute within LFPL's collection. Donations can also be mailed to The Library Foundation, 301 York Street, Louisville, KY 40203