Johnn T. Miller, 90, passed away surrounded by his adoring girls on March 3, 2015 in Austin, Texas after a brief illness. Family left behind to cherish his memory include his partner Trudy, their daughters, Erin (with husband Ron) and Shanna, grandchildren, Natalie and Cameron, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Rising from rough beginnings in rural New Mexico as the youngest child of an impoverished sharecropping family, Johnn established himself as a young leader through hard work, determination, and the support of his community. He earned his Eagle Scout ranking at age 15 and finished school at the top of his class, while working from childhood on in the fields, and in high school, overnights at a local gas station to help support his family. He entered the US Army at 18 and served as a Corporal in the 12th Armored "Mystery" Division during WWII, liberating French villages and helping forge the way for the Allied invasion across Europe, for which he was awarded two Bronze Stars and France's Legion of Honor. He spent several months as a POW in Hitler's camps at Ludwigsburg and Fallingbostel, Germany, and carried the weight of combatting PTSD throughout his life.
Upon his return to the U.S., he completed a BBA at The University of Texas at Austin on the GI Bill, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, Cadet Colonel of the Air Force ROTC Squadrons, President of the Air Force ROTC Association, and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He entered the USAF as a Budget and Fiscal Officer and served in the Korean Conflict, where he was awarded a third Bronze Star, and at Kelly AFB, where he met his future wife, "Trudy" Ruth Hausler, before being disabled by a tragic accident and retired early from his military career.
Inspired by the teachers who had supported and challenged him in his youth, Johnn pursued a second career as an educator, which would span four decades. He and Trudy married and moved west, taking turns working and attending college. He earned graduate degrees from Arizona State University and Golden Gate University, where he also studied law, and taught at several high schools before joining the Chabot College Business Department Faculty in Hayward CA. He spent 31 years there, teaching Business Law and Accounting, and also taught 8 years at Cal State University in Hayward. His natural love of learning and his concern for people's welfare helped cement his reputation as an engaging professor with high standards. His dry sense of humor and infectious laugh were legendary, as were his gifts of intelligence and encouragement. He was awarded various teaching commendations and found time to mentor and encourage young people, both individually and in groups. He continued this pattern of support and encouragement even after retirement, with his children, grandchildren, and the people in the Austin retirement communities where he lived. Even at 90, he was healthy and vibrant and seemed far younger. He loved life and was grateful to God for each day.
Johnn always took the time to have fun, and had a love of music that enabled him to experience some of the greatest live acts in rock history in the CA Bay Area. His favorites included the Rolling Stones, Santana, Hendrix, Joplin, CCR, Pink Floyd, The Doors, the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, and The Moody Blues. His stereo was powerful and was on daily, to the delight of his children and the chagrin of his neighbors. His passion for travel and culture drove him to explore the U.S. and the world extensively over the years, most often wearing hiking shoes and a backpack. He was proficient in Spanish and Japanese, and spent two sabbaticals exploring and teaching in Japan and various Spanish-speaking countries. He had an extensive knowledge of world events and politics but welcomed the diversion of college football, especially his Longhorns. His life motto was "Carpe Diem," and he certainly did.
Even with all his accomplishments in life, Johnn never believed that he did anything someone else couldn't do. He never forgot his humble roots, and had no tolerance for pretension. When his diligently researching relatives discovered that his maternal family line traced back to Plymouth and Virginia colonies and beyond to the nobility of England and France, he took it all with a grain of salt. No doubt he would be somewhat uncomfortable with the praise being lavished on him here. But to us, his family, he was larger than life, an indomitable man who overcame insurmountable obstacles to live his life with grace and dignity. He was our rock and our inspiration to be our best, and we miss him dearly. Words fail us to express the depth of our gratitude and our grief.
Carpe diem!
Rising from rough beginnings in rural New Mexico as the youngest child of an impoverished sharecropping family, Johnn established himself as a young leader through hard work, determination, and the support of his community. He earned his Eagle Scout ranking at age 15 and finished school at the top of his class, while working from childhood on in the fields, and in high school, overnights at a local gas station to help support his family. He entered the US Army at 18 and served as a Corporal in the 12th Armored "Mystery" Division during WWII, liberating French villages and helping forge the way for the Allied invasion across Europe, for which he was awarded two Bronze Stars and France's Legion of Honor. He spent several months as a POW in Hitler's camps at Ludwigsburg and Fallingbostel, Germany, and carried the weight of combatting PTSD throughout his life.
Upon his return to the U.S., he completed a BBA at The University of Texas at Austin on the GI Bill, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, Cadet Colonel of the Air Force ROTC Squadrons, President of the Air Force ROTC Association, and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He entered the USAF as a Budget and Fiscal Officer and served in the Korean Conflict, where he was awarded a third Bronze Star, and at Kelly AFB, where he met his future wife, "Trudy" Ruth Hausler, before being disabled by a tragic accident and retired early from his military career.
Inspired by the teachers who had supported and challenged him in his youth, Johnn pursued a second career as an educator, which would span four decades. He and Trudy married and moved west, taking turns working and attending college. He earned graduate degrees from Arizona State University and Golden Gate University, where he also studied law, and taught at several high schools before joining the Chabot College Business Department Faculty in Hayward CA. He spent 31 years there, teaching Business Law and Accounting, and also taught 8 years at Cal State University in Hayward. His natural love of learning and his concern for people's welfare helped cement his reputation as an engaging professor with high standards. His dry sense of humor and infectious laugh were legendary, as were his gifts of intelligence and encouragement. He was awarded various teaching commendations and found time to mentor and encourage young people, both individually and in groups. He continued this pattern of support and encouragement even after retirement, with his children, grandchildren, and the people in the Austin retirement communities where he lived. Even at 90, he was healthy and vibrant and seemed far younger. He loved life and was grateful to God for each day.
Johnn always took the time to have fun, and had a love of music that enabled him to experience some of the greatest live acts in rock history in the CA Bay Area. His favorites included the Rolling Stones, Santana, Hendrix, Joplin, CCR, Pink Floyd, The Doors, the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, and The Moody Blues. His stereo was powerful and was on daily, to the delight of his children and the chagrin of his neighbors. His passion for travel and culture drove him to explore the U.S. and the world extensively over the years, most often wearing hiking shoes and a backpack. He was proficient in Spanish and Japanese, and spent two sabbaticals exploring and teaching in Japan and various Spanish-speaking countries. He had an extensive knowledge of world events and politics but welcomed the diversion of college football, especially his Longhorns. His life motto was "Carpe Diem," and he certainly did.
Even with all his accomplishments in life, Johnn never believed that he did anything someone else couldn't do. He never forgot his humble roots, and had no tolerance for pretension. When his diligently researching relatives discovered that his maternal family line traced back to Plymouth and Virginia colonies and beyond to the nobility of England and France, he took it all with a grain of salt. No doubt he would be somewhat uncomfortable with the praise being lavished on him here. But to us, his family, he was larger than life, an indomitable man who overcame insurmountable obstacles to live his life with grace and dignity. He was our rock and our inspiration to be our best, and we miss him dearly. Words fail us to express the depth of our gratitude and our grief.
Carpe diem!
Johnn T. Miller, 90, passed away surrounded by his adoring girls on March 3, 2015 in Austin, Texas after a brief illness. Family left behind to cherish his memory include his partner Trudy, their daughters, Erin (with husband Ron) and Shanna, grandchildren, Natalie and Cameron, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Rising from rough beginnings in rural New Mexico as the youngest child of an impoverished sharecropping family, Johnn established himself as a young leader through hard work, determination, and the support of his community. He earned his Eagle Scout ranking at age 15 and finished school at the top of his class, while working from childhood on in the fields, and in high school, overnights at a local gas station to help support his family. He entered the US Army at 18 and served as a Corporal in the 12th Armored "Mystery" Division during WWII, liberating French villages and helping forge the way for the Allied invasion across Europe, for which he was awarded two Bronze Stars and France's Legion of Honor. He spent several months as a POW in Hitler's camps at Ludwigsburg and Fallingbostel, Germany, and carried the weight of combatting PTSD throughout his life.
Upon his return to the U.S., he completed a BBA at The University of Texas at Austin on the GI Bill, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, Cadet Colonel of the Air Force ROTC Squadrons, President of the Air Force ROTC Association, and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He entered the USAF as a Budget and Fiscal Officer and served in the Korean Conflict, where he was awarded a third Bronze Star, and at Kelly AFB, where he met his future wife, "Trudy" Ruth Hausler, before being disabled by a tragic accident and retired early from his military career.
Inspired by the teachers who had supported and challenged him in his youth, Johnn pursued a second career as an educator, which would span four decades. He and Trudy married and moved west, taking turns working and attending college. He earned graduate degrees from Arizona State University and Golden Gate University, where he also studied law, and taught at several high schools before joining the Chabot College Business Department Faculty in Hayward CA. He spent 31 years there, teaching Business Law and Accounting, and also taught 8 years at Cal State University in Hayward. His natural love of learning and his concern for people's welfare helped cement his reputation as an engaging professor with high standards. His dry sense of humor and infectious laugh were legendary, as were his gifts of intelligence and encouragement. He was awarded various teaching commendations and found time to mentor and encourage young people, both individually and in groups. He continued this pattern of support and encouragement even after retirement, with his children, grandchildren, and the people in the Austin retirement communities where he lived. Even at 90, he was healthy and vibrant and seemed far younger. He loved life and was grateful to God for each day.
Johnn always took the time to have fun, and had a love of music that enabled him to experience some of the greatest live acts in rock history in the CA Bay Area. His favorites included the Rolling Stones, Santana, Hendrix, Joplin, CCR, Pink Floyd, The Doors, the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, and The Moody Blues. His stereo was powerful and was on daily, to the delight of his children and the chagrin of his neighbors. His passion for travel and culture drove him to explore the U.S. and the world extensively over the years, most often wearing hiking shoes and a backpack. He was proficient in Spanish and Japanese, and spent two sabbaticals exploring and teaching in Japan and various Spanish-speaking countries. He had an extensive knowledge of world events and politics but welcomed the diversion of college football, especially his Longhorns. His life motto was "Carpe Diem," and he certainly did.
Even with all his accomplishments in life, Johnn never believed that he did anything someone else couldn't do. He never forgot his humble roots, and had no tolerance for pretension. When his diligently researching relatives discovered that his maternal family line traced back to Plymouth and Virginia colonies and beyond to the nobility of England and France, he took it all with a grain of salt. No doubt he would be somewhat uncomfortable with the praise being lavished on him here. But to us, his family, he was larger than life, an indomitable man who overcame insurmountable obstacles to live his life with grace and dignity. He was our rock and our inspiration to be our best, and we miss him dearly. Words fail us to express the depth of our gratitude and our grief.
Carpe diem!
Rising from rough beginnings in rural New Mexico as the youngest child of an impoverished sharecropping family, Johnn established himself as a young leader through hard work, determination, and the support of his community. He earned his Eagle Scout ranking at age 15 and finished school at the top of his class, while working from childhood on in the fields, and in high school, overnights at a local gas station to help support his family. He entered the US Army at 18 and served as a Corporal in the 12th Armored "Mystery" Division during WWII, liberating French villages and helping forge the way for the Allied invasion across Europe, for which he was awarded two Bronze Stars and France's Legion of Honor. He spent several months as a POW in Hitler's camps at Ludwigsburg and Fallingbostel, Germany, and carried the weight of combatting PTSD throughout his life.
Upon his return to the U.S., he completed a BBA at The University of Texas at Austin on the GI Bill, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, Cadet Colonel of the Air Force ROTC Squadrons, President of the Air Force ROTC Association, and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He entered the USAF as a Budget and Fiscal Officer and served in the Korean Conflict, where he was awarded a third Bronze Star, and at Kelly AFB, where he met his future wife, "Trudy" Ruth Hausler, before being disabled by a tragic accident and retired early from his military career.
Inspired by the teachers who had supported and challenged him in his youth, Johnn pursued a second career as an educator, which would span four decades. He and Trudy married and moved west, taking turns working and attending college. He earned graduate degrees from Arizona State University and Golden Gate University, where he also studied law, and taught at several high schools before joining the Chabot College Business Department Faculty in Hayward CA. He spent 31 years there, teaching Business Law and Accounting, and also taught 8 years at Cal State University in Hayward. His natural love of learning and his concern for people's welfare helped cement his reputation as an engaging professor with high standards. His dry sense of humor and infectious laugh were legendary, as were his gifts of intelligence and encouragement. He was awarded various teaching commendations and found time to mentor and encourage young people, both individually and in groups. He continued this pattern of support and encouragement even after retirement, with his children, grandchildren, and the people in the Austin retirement communities where he lived. Even at 90, he was healthy and vibrant and seemed far younger. He loved life and was grateful to God for each day.
Johnn always took the time to have fun, and had a love of music that enabled him to experience some of the greatest live acts in rock history in the CA Bay Area. His favorites included the Rolling Stones, Santana, Hendrix, Joplin, CCR, Pink Floyd, The Doors, the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, and The Moody Blues. His stereo was powerful and was on daily, to the delight of his children and the chagrin of his neighbors. His passion for travel and culture drove him to explore the U.S. and the world extensively over the years, most often wearing hiking shoes and a backpack. He was proficient in Spanish and Japanese, and spent two sabbaticals exploring and teaching in Japan and various Spanish-speaking countries. He had an extensive knowledge of world events and politics but welcomed the diversion of college football, especially his Longhorns. His life motto was "Carpe Diem," and he certainly did.
Even with all his accomplishments in life, Johnn never believed that he did anything someone else couldn't do. He never forgot his humble roots, and had no tolerance for pretension. When his diligently researching relatives discovered that his maternal family line traced back to Plymouth and Virginia colonies and beyond to the nobility of England and France, he took it all with a grain of salt. No doubt he would be somewhat uncomfortable with the praise being lavished on him here. But to us, his family, he was larger than life, an indomitable man who overcame insurmountable obstacles to live his life with grace and dignity. He was our rock and our inspiration to be our best, and we miss him dearly. Words fail us to express the depth of our gratitude and our grief.
Carpe diem!
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