Donald "Don" Miller

Donald "Don" Miller, 77, of Belleville, IL, born April 14, 1948, passed away on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 at his residence.

He was preceded in death by his:

Parents: Russell and Ella "Sunny" Miller, nee Outland

Surviving to cherish his memory are his:

Wife: Sandy Miller, nee Wilson
Daughters:

Kim (Ronnie) Browne
Amber (Bryon) Thurnau

Brother: Russ (Linda) Miller
Grandchildren:

Dustin (Hannah Weis) Browne
Tyler Browne
Ayden Thurnau
Bryleigh Thurnau

Great-Grandchildren:

Wyatt Browne
Connor Browne
Kara Browne

Many loving brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews

Don was born in East St. Louis and grew up in Washington Park until he left to join the US Navy at the age of 17. During his time in the service, he worked on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise in Vietnam. His journey on the aircraft carrier took him across the equator and under the Golden Gate Bridge. He loved to tell stories about his stop in San Francisco where he enjoyed small local musicians like Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane as well as his painful yet interesting visit to the boat's infirmary. After the service, Don traveled the country in a box truck turned camper that broke down in Yellowstone where he waited a month for parts while enjoying the geysers and natural hot pools.

After marrying Sandy on the Fourth of July, they raised two daughters. Their anniversary was always a reason for celebrating with his home fireworks shows. He made cabinets and marble tops at a cabinet shop that he owned with his brother and became a Belleville firefighter where everyone called him "Hey, Vern!"

Don was a "jack of all trades" who loved learning new skills and teaching others. He welded an old VW bug into his own "MilLorean" and loved to build things in his shop. He fixed up an old boat that always "started right up" and took the family on many trips up and down the Kaskaskia River pulling the kids on a big yellow tube. His daughters and grandkids learned to fish when he coached them in fishing rodeos. Hours were spent on the floor with his grandchildren building elaborate Thomas the Train tracks throughout his house. Later, he learned to record music and built computers with his grandkids in his basement. Any request for help was answered whether it was fixing your leaky basement, redoing your plumbing, or driving you to your doctor appointments. He (rightfully) claims that he taught his sons-in-law everything they know.

He loved making people laugh with his stories, jokes, and antics like flipping his eyelids to make the nieces and nephews scream and laugh, or surprising the family reunion by coming out in a Speedo and Santa hat to dive down the slip and slide.

After retirement from the Belleville Fire Department, he and Sandy found joy in watching Chuck Berry perform at the Duck Room from the front row every month. They also enjoyed traveling with a local Elvis impersonator where he became "The Scarf Man" and occasional glockenspiel player. The two of them could often be found on the dance floor where anyone watching could see the love between Don and Sandy.

During these last few years, Don enjoyed watching Andy Griffith and Everybody Loves Raymond every day and enjoying a hamburger, sweet potato fries, and a vanilla shake. He relished holding his great-grandchildren in his arms. The wonderful caretakers at Memorial Hospital, Memorial Care Center, Villas of Holly Brook, and Heartland Hospice all held a special place in his heart, as he did in theirs.

Don will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.

Services: Private family interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.