Johnnie Elbert Miller

Born to Jessie and Johnnie Miller in Levelland, Texas (on the journey from Oklahoma to California) on April 1, 1941, Johnnie (John) Elbert Miller passed away peacefully at home in (Greenville, South Carolina) on November 15, 2025.
The family made their way to Barstow, California, then settled in Redwood Valley, California, residing in their Grandparents' homestead. Johnnie and sister Pat spent their time trouncing through the "crick," coddling their miniature chickens-- instilling a love for wide open country spaces, a theme they cherished and found in their futures. Eventually, the Millers moved to Ukiah, CA, as their father worked as a logger, and mother worked at Mendocino State Hospital. "I was a mama's boy," was his favorite confession.
John graduated from Ukiah High School, where he was an outstanding athlete in football, baseball, and basketball. After graduating, he played baseball at Santa Rosa Junior College, while obtaining his AA degree. He was recruited to play baseball on scholarship for Fresno State College in California, ultimately becoming assistant coach to the legendary Pete Beiden. He received a degree in Physical Education and Biology in 1968 from California State University. and began his teaching career at Casa Robles High School. John quickly earned a reputation for being an inspirational leader, teacher and coach, adored and respected by his students. After teaching for a decade, he was called to use his gift of bringing out the best in those who needed guidance and support in dealing with life's challenges. He began a new career endeavor in psychology, earning his M.A. degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of San Francisco.
This pivotal decision was the beginning of his forty- year journey working as a therapist and then as an organizational consultant and trainer in the fields of leadership and personal development, executive coaching and organizational change. Highly adept at bringing about transformational and long-lasting change in people and organizations, John became a highly sought-after consultant by federal, state, local governments and private organizations nationwide.
His natural gifts of intuitive reach and innovative connection proved priceless to many who listened, many who are still reaping the keen and life altering guidance he once gave them. He is a hero to them, and all who were witness to his rare ability to reach the unreachable, to give of himself, so others might prosper. He relished in that knowing-that others would take the best of him with them on their path. In 1992, John and Athena, his loving wife, joined forces to establish their company, Human Dimensions. Together they committed to do God's work–bringing healing, hope and lasting change to hundreds of people's lives, with profound success.
In retirement, John frequented beloved sister Pat's ranches in California and Missouri. A true sage in his heart, he always had insight and wisdom to share for anyone who needed it or not-- he couldn't help it. Long walks through the trees were his solace. Who would have known, behind that suit and tie, that articulate speaker, that doctor- of- the- mind exterior, was the "Cowboy," that never failed us-A "give- it- to- you straight" character, blended with compassion, humor, and surgical precision that cut to the heart of an issue and revealed the path forward with deep clarity. He filled us with awe and gratitude. John has left big boots to fill.
Irreplaceable. John was known for his dry sense of humor, his movie star quality, his great hair, his trips to various baked goods in the kitchen at 2 am, and his uncanny ability to be good at everything ventured. He could build it, fix it, teach it, analyze it, barbecue it, and look good doing it. He was our voice of new answers, our protector, our patriarch, our comforter, our steady strong source of reason, our problem solver, our inventor of an angle to be explored, our reality check, our comic relief, our one and only, our eternal valentine, our rock.
His interests: Karate (Third degree Brown Belt), building homes (California), the outdoors, the beach, customizing cars (1955 Chevy, 1950 truck, to name a few), TV Westerns, puttering in the yard, and playing cards with his family.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Athena; his daughters, Alexandra and Kari; his son, Jared (Katie); sister, Pat Deome (Frank); sister-in-laws, Kyparrissia, Theodora, and Katerina; brother-in-laws, Gus, Johnny, John, and Dimitrios; many nephews and nieces and lifelong friends. We love John, dearly.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 19, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown located at 639 N. Main Street, Greenville, SC 29601. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 24, 2025 the Ukiah Cemetery Chapel, located at 940 Low Gap Road, Ukiah CA 95482.
In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in memory of John or donating to the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR).
John will be dearly missed but his spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. May his memory be eternal.
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