William Flynn Miller Jr., 94, passed away peacefully at home Tuesday, May 16, 2017.
Bill was born March 23, 1923, in Lake City to the late William Flynn Miller Sr. and Julia Crouch Miller. He spent his early years there and was a graduate of Columbia High School in Lake City, where he served as senior class president. Bill’s college career began at the University of Georgia, where he played trumpet in the Redcoat Band and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.
In his junior year of college, Bill was called to duty and served his country in the United States Navy as a pilot during World War II. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Upon his safe return to the States, Bill resumed his education. He was recipient of a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the University of Georgia in 1947 and, one year later, received a master’s degree from Duke University in forestry. Bill was a charter Big Jay Hook of the Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia and was the first of three generations that would graduate from the program.
He began his career with Rayonier at the Fernandina Beach location, where he worked in land management and tax administration for 20 years. In 1970, he relocated to Jesup, Ga., to be woodlands manager until his retirement in 1986 with 39 years of service.
Bill was a devoted servant to his communities. He served as president of the Fernandina Beach Jaycees and was a member of the Jesup Kiwanis Club, where he served as president and lieutenant governor. He was a member of the Altamaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. He served as vice president of the Georgia Forestry Association Executive Committee and was on the board of trustees for Coastal Pines Technical College, where he was awarded trustee emeritus. Bill served as chairman of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, the Community Service Above Self Award and was an honorary lifetime member. He was appointed to the Georgia 8th Congressional District Advisory Board by the U.S. House of Representatives and served as lieutenant colonel, aide de camp, to Gov. Joe Frank Harris in 1987. Bill was a former member of First Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach and a current member of First Baptist Church of Jesup, where he taught Sunday school for many years and attended the Golden Ruler’s Sunday School Class. In his spare time, Bill enjoyed golfing at the Pine Forest Country Club and was proud of his two holes-in-one. He also enjoyed traveling, hunting, bridge, attending Georgia football games and spending time with his beloved family.
In addition to his parents, a son-in-law, Richard Vincent, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Carolyn Morrison Miller of Jesup; a son, Bill Miller III and wife Nancy of Fernandina Beach and their children, Carrie and Steve Molinari and children, Drew, Dean and Kate; Katie and Will Bennett and children, Libby and Davey; Flynn and Brook Miller and children, Wills and Doss; daughters, Marilyn E. Miller of Jacksonville and Marcia Miller Vincent of Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law, Jan and Bill Henning of Oxford, Miss., and children, Christine and Will Reed, Caroline and Catherine Henning; daughter and son-in-law, Julia and Mike Burch of Jesup and children, Michael and Jena Burch and children, Myla and Will, and Julianne Burch; and sister, Betty Kirby of Clermont, Fla.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, May 19, at First Baptist Church of Jesup with Dr. Michael VonMoss and Dr. Felix Haynes officiating. The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. until the hour of the funeral at the church.
Active pallbearers will be Mike and Michael Burch, Bill Henning, Flynn Miller, Steve Molinari, Will Bennett and Will Reed.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Jesup Kiwanis Club, the Golden Ruler’s Sunday School Class, Tim Cockfield Sr., Dr. Lanier Harrell, Clyde Johnson, Tom Mager, Don McGregor, Paul Scott, Sonny Reddish and Harry Yeomans.
Family interment services will follow in the Jesup City Cemetery later in the afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Fair Haven Women’s and Children’s Shelter, P.O. Box 1153, Jesup, GA 31598; or First Baptist Church of Jesup, Capital Campaign Fund, P.O. Box 1115, Jesup, GA 31598.
Please sign our guestbook online at jesupfuneralhome.com.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home, Jesup, Ga.