John Quitman Miller III

John Quitman Miller, III, age 80, passed away peacefully on February 18, at home surrounded by his family. John was born on November 25, 1945, in Miami, Florida to John Q. Miller, Jr. and Dorothy S. Miller, both deceased. He married his high school girlfriend, Annie Ruth Miller on November 18, 1964, and she survives him.

John loved hunting, fishing, golf and a good party, not necessarily in that order, but he was never happier than when he was with his family. John grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and raised his own family in Lexington, South Carolina, but the beach was always calling, and the salt water brought him to Myrtle Beach in 1982.

John's personality was perfect for sales, and he found his niche in the construction industry working for many years as a paint sales representative, eventually handling business development for a company his son Gene started, and was later joined by his grandsons John and Nick. While sales was a great fit for John's personality, he always believed his real job was to make people smile, and he rarely missed a chance, whether it was in the swamps duck hunting, chasing shrimp in the bay, or ribbing his playing partners on the golf course, he was always quick with a joke, a challenge and usually some small bet to back it up. John and his brother Robbie, who also survives him had that rare relationship of brothers that were so close they could finish each other's sentences, but they could also argue like Strom Thurmond and Fritz Hollings on the floor of the Senate. Rarely a day passed that they didn't share a phone call just to make sure everything was going well.

While John was comfortable dealing with the roughest of the rough, whether on a construction site, playing semi-pro football or side stepping the occasional misunderstanding in a bar (which probably started with him egging somebody on), his family came to know him as the kindest, sweetest grandfather ever. He loved teaching his children, their spouses, his grandchildren, and later his great grandchildren, the important life skills like baiting a hook, how to make a long putt, how to cook a steak on the grill, and even the fine points of jumping on the trampoline, which he learned putting so many of them together in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve.

John lived life to the fullest, and he did his best to make sure the people he loved did the same. That's the legacy that will live on in these children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and the generations to come.

John is survived by his wife, Ruth, his brother Robbie Miller and his wife Kathy, his sister Sylvia Hancock who predeceased him, and the following family members:

Son Gene Miller and his wife Tammie, his grandson John Miller and his wife Audie, and his great- grandson John, and his grandson Nick Miller.

Daughter Kelly Guyton and her husband Shep, his grandson Austin Guyton, his wife Natalia and his great-granddaughter Addison, his granddaughter Miller Howenstine, and her husband John and his two great-granddaughters Hadley and Averie, his grandson Robert Guyton, his wife Hannah and his great-grandson Shep, his grandson Davis Guyton, his grandson Quan Luddley and his great-grandson Easton.

John is also survived by many nieces, nephews, friends, fishing buddies, golf buddies and many others who loved him, and will miss him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriner's Children's Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina.

A service will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at Noon at McMillan Small Funeral Home, 910 67 th Avenue North, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572. The family will receive visitors beginning at 11 AM, prior to the service.