Our beloved dad, grandpa and great-grandpa, Earl “Mike” Miller, 89, passed away on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, surrounded by his family at a local nursing home.
Dad lived a life filled with passion for his work, loyal service to his community and a deep love for his wife and family. Dad was born June 5, 1925, in Chilton to Roland and Elsie Miller. After graduating from Chilton High School and serving as a staff sergeant with the 98th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, he attended St. Norbert College, graduating in 1949. He went on to receive master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Stout.
After returning from the war in 1946, he married our mother, the love of his life, Ina Claire Schucht, in Chilton on Sept. 11, 1947. Mom preceded him in death in 2004. Mike and Ina Claire found joy in the fact that they were born a day apart in Chilton, and he often commented that she was sent to him from above. He and Ina Claire were blessed with six children, 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
His career in teaching and high school athletics began in Casco in 1949, teaching social studies as well as coaching football, basketball and baseball. In 1952, Mike moved to Chilton, where he coached the same three sports.
All who knew “Coach” realize that beginning in 1954, he bled purple and white for his West High Wildcats. During his tenure at Green Bay West from 1954 until his final retirement in 1986, he held positions as a history teacher, guidance counselor and vice principal. His passion for teaching and coaching young people earned him great respect from generations of youth and their families whose lives he impacted.
As an assistant and head football coach for Green Bay West, he won numerous sectional, regional and conference championships. He was named Fox River Valley Conference coach of the year three times and Green Bay All-Metro coach of the year twice. Mike was awarded the Fox Cities Sports award at the Red Smith program in 1981. The Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Association recognized him for 34 years of coaching in 1986. In 1988, Mike received the National School Public Relations Award of Honor and the Outstanding Service Award for service to youth in Green Bay. In 1992, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Coaches Football Association Hall of Fame in Madison. In addition, he was inducted into the St. Norbert College Athletics Hall of Fame.
Dad believed in the importance of serving his community and living the American Constitution. He was elected to eight consecutive terms as a member of the Green Bay City Council and the Brown County Board of Supervisors. As a member of the Green Bay City Council, he served four years as council vice president and four years as president. He was a member of the American Legion, the AMVETS, the Green Bay Elks, the Green Bay Drug and Alcohol Abuse Alliance, and was also active as a Boy Scout leader for many years. Dad was a longtime member of Annunciation Parish, and served the parish as a dedicated volunteer. He also loved the outdoors, spending time fishing and hunting with his family and singing along with anyone who would join him.
Dad was a man of high integrity and set high standards for himself and others around him. We were blessed to have him as a role model each day. He had strong faith in God, and expressed this in the way he lived his life.
Mike is survived by his six children, Dan (Anne), Shawano, Mike (Anne), Green Bay, Chris Nelson, Greeley, Colorado, Tom (Mary Beth), Green Bay, Katie (Paul) Ruiz, Green Bay, and Susie (Ivo) Montes de Oca, Lawrence, Kansas; 17 grandchildren, Hannah, Rachel and Leah Miller, Kristin (Nick) Karnitz, Joe (Kaylinn) Miller, Michael and Katie Parins, Megan, Ryan and Aaron Miller, Zachary (Glynnis), Mitchell, Sara and Sam Ruiz, Matthew, Jameson and Bryce Montes de Oca; three great-grandchildren, Grant, Nolan and Andrew Karnitz. Mike is further survived by his sisters, Joan Bruckner, Chilton, Nancy (Erv) Nolan, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Gretchen (Jim) Bloomer, Chilton; and a sister-in-law, Dorothy (Ray) Ricker, Chilton.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ina Claire; his parents, Roland and Elsie Miller; his in-laws, Howard and Edna Schucht; his sister, Marilyn Nolan; his brother-in-law, George Bruckner; and son-in-law, Ron Nelson.
Visitation will be held at Blaney Funeral Home, 1521 Shawano Ave., Green Bay, from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Visitation will continue at Annunciation Catholic Church, 401 Gray St., Green Bay, from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church with the Rev. Donald Everts and the Rev. Dennis Ryan concelebrating. Entombment will be at the Allouez Chapel Mausoleum.
To send online condolences, please go to www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.
In lieu of flowers, we wish to honor Dad’s legacy through donations to the Coach Earl “Mike” Miller Scholarship Fund established through the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, which will benefit students and athletes of Green Bay West High.
We would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the staffs of Renaissance and Rennes, in addition to the staffs of St. Vincent Hospital and Unity Hospice for their compassionate care of Dad over the past several years. In addition, no words can express how much it meant to Dad to have visits from his friends, former students and athletes. We are so very grateful.