Ron Miller

James Ronald (Ron) Miller, age 82, passed away on October 26, 2023. He
was born in Benton, Kentucky on August 19, 1941 to the late James Homer
and Mary Louise (Jones) Miller. He graduated from Benton High School,
where he met his beloved wife Janice Pace, in 1959. He went on to
college, first at Murray State University and then at the University of
Missouri at Rolla (UMR, now known as the Missouri University of Science
and Technology), where he received a Bachelor's degree in Chemical
Engineering in 1964. He and Janice married on August 10, 1963 in Benton,
Kentucky, and recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of their long and
happy marriage.
Ron was an honors student at UMR and an active member of the Pi Kappa
Alpha fraternity. He was a founding member of the UMR Academy of
Chemical Engineers, a member of UMR's Order of the Golden Shillelagh,
and President of the university's Board of Trustees. He delivered the
Commencement Address and received an honorary doctorate in 2006, and
was honored as an Alumnus of Influence in 2021.
Upon graduating from college, Ron began a long and successful career
with Procter and Gamble, where he rose through the ranks until his
retirement in 2000 as Vice President and General Manager. This career
path took Ron and his family all over the country and included considerable
international travel and several years living in Brussels, Belgium.
After retiring, Ron and Janice began the phase of life he referred to as the
"Giving Back Years." They used their time and resources to benefit many
people and organizations, as they split their time between homes in
Sapphire, North Carolina and Bonita Springs, Florida. They tutored at-risk
students, built houses with Habitat for Humanity, served in soup kitchen,
supported crisis pregnancy centers, and opened their homes
to raise money for worthy causes. They also established the Ron and Janice Miller Scholarship for
Academic Access at his alma mater.
More recently, Ron and Janice exchanged their North Carolina home for a
part-time residence back in Cincinnati, Ohio to be closer to family. Ron is
survived by his beloved wife Janice Pace Miller, his daughter Leslie (Miller)
McManus and her husband Dan McManus of Terrace Park, Ohio, his son
Matthew Miller and his wife Wendy (Stratman) Miller of Atlanta, Georgia,
his grandchildren Connor, Sam, Walker, and Julia McManus, and Jack,
Mary Clare, and Pace Miller. A small family memorial is being planned.
Memorial donations may be made to Matthew 25 Ministries
(https://m25m.org/help/financial-donations/), New Horizons of Southwest
Florida (https://newhorizonsofswfl.org/give-now/), and Twin Lakes Senior
Community / Life Enriching Communities Foundation
(https://lec.org/foundation/donate/general-donation/).
Loved and respected by all who knew him, Ron will be remembered as a
devoted and adoring husband, father, and grandfather, loyal and wise
friend, thoughtful mentor, and humble, generous man of God.
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