Donnie F. Miller, 83, died on March 17, 2024 surrounded by his family at home in Athens.
Donnie was born on Feb. 3, 1941 in Rienzi, Mississippi to Earl and Annie Dee Rider Miller. From the beginning, he was a relentless worker, sharecropping cotton with his eight-person family in the bootheel of Missouri. He had tremendous tales of those early years — his best friend was a goose named Dudley, he won a contest about which switch hurt worse (the one without leaves), he played intense games of tag with a goat named Billy, and he prayed for a pecan tree that amazingly produced pecans he then sold at a roadside stand.
His family moved north, to Zion, Illinois, when Donnie was 16, and after graduating from Zion-Benton High School in 1959, he worked in various factories, automotive shops, and home repair companies. And, at the same time, he played bass guitar and sang with a number of groups, ending with a band made up of his family members, The Music Shoppe, that recorded in Nashville — and connected him to his future wife, Victoria, who became his partner for 47 years.
Donnie married Victoria Ann Friel Miller on Aug. 28, 1976, and with her support, he found success professionally by working his way up from security and grounds crews to senior facility manager overseeing a million-square-foot office complex for 30 years at McGaw Park in Waukegan, Illinois. He graduated from Lake Forest School of Management.
He was a tireless supporter of his daughter, Amanda Cheryl, who asked him to read books, quiz her on spelling words, and time her racing across the yard without ceasing.
After retirement, Donnie engaged in his favorite pastimes — golfing, watching college and professional sports, fixing things that no one else could fix, doing yard work, but most important — his grandchildren, who he taught to play music, think strategically in sports, care for wildlife, demonstrate patience but also revel in the silly moments.
Donnie was a loyal reader of newspapers, especially The Oglethorpe Echo. His daughter, who teaches journalism at the University of Georgia and is The Echo’s assistant editor, greatly valued the praise he gave to the University of Georgia students who make up its reporting staff.
Donnie will be remembered by his family for his physical strength and perseverance, his authentic smile and endearing humor, and his ability to encourage and see the best in just about any circumstance.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings. He is survived by his brother, John, and sister, Charlotte; his wife, Victoria; his daughter, Amanda (Eric) Bright; and his grandchildren, Luke and Katherine. He is also survived by three children: ReGina, Tim and Bruce Miller and their families.
As one last way to be significant, Donnie donated his body to a medical school to help students learn. It’s a fitting choice for a man who loved and supported us all.