Carl Augustine Miller

Carl Augustine Miller went to his heavenly home on Friday, May 8, 2020, the day after
his 89th birthday. He was the son of Carl Augustus Miller and Gertrude Mary Beirne and
he was devoted to his mother throughout her life. He was preceded in death by his
beloved wife of 66 years, Dorothy Jean Vetter Miller, his brother, Maurice Miller and his
newborn son Carl Miller. He is survived by his children: Jeannie Goodyear (Tommy),
Cathy Ghidotti (Mike), Chip Miller (Maxine) and Christy Robinson (Wally), 6
grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High
School in Richmond and studied at the University of Richmond. He worked for the
Southern States Cooperative where he met the great love of his life, Dorothy Jean
Vetter. He joined the Army during the Korean War where he attended Officer Candidate
School for two years and was honorably discharged with the rank of Second Lieutenant;
he remained with the Corps of Engineers, USAR until 1961. His career at the
Petersburg & Hopewell Gas Company, later Commonwealth Gas Company in
Petersburg, Virginia began in 1954 and spanned over 35 years. Post retirement, he
was an adjunct accounting professor at Richard Bland College. Carl was actively
involved in the Catholic Church, initially in the St. Joseph Catholic Church and later the
Church of the Sacred Heart Parish, both in Petersburg, his home for over 60 years. He
later joined the St. Ann Catholic Church in Colonial Heights. His faith was always an
integral part of his life and his belief that God made him to love Him and serve Him
shaped his values.
He was always dedicated to his family and his community. That fundamental, pervasive
desire to nurture and mentor those around him is a characteristic that defined him. He
was at every game, every ballet and piano recital, and every play that his children were
involved in. He made those around him feel cherished and important. He believed it was
important to contribute to the community; whenever there was a request for volunteers,
he would raise his hand and say “I can do that”. He prepared tax returns of friends for
years at no charge. In the early 1990s, he started volunteering with an AARP tax-prep
program, and when that ended, he stayed on to provide free tax prep for clients who
had come to depend on him. The “power of positive thinking” was at his core; he was an
eternal optimist and believed the best of people. He loved gadgets and new technology;
he was a creative problem-solver. He believed in looking a person in the eye, a firm
handshake, and the importance of engaging in good conversation. He loved his family,
his friends, golfing and playing cards. He enjoyed winning, but he enjoyed it most when
everyone played well and played by the rules. He was proud of his home state, and
often introduced himself to new folks as ”Hello there, I’m Carl Miller from Virginia”. He
believed in the importance of a job well done. He always strived to be his best self.
He spent his final few years at Dunlop House Assisted Living & Memory Care in
Colonial Heights, where he was named the “Sweetheart King” of 2019. He danced with
a room full of high school girls at a Dunlop Prom, played bingo with veterans at the VFW
and with soldiers from Ft. Lee, enjoyed the many field trips and activities, and made so
many great friends. We are forever grateful to the wonderful staff at Dunlop House,
most especially to the Activities Director, Rachel Barefoot, and to Lisa Urquhart and
Felicia Woodley, part of the Dunlop House professional healthcare team. The family
also wants to recognize Alane Cameron Ford who was his grief counselor following the
death of his beloved wife.
Carl was a devoted son, a loving husband, a nurturing father, a loyal and generous
friend, a great gentleman, and a contributor to his community. He was always
appreciative and was thankful for his good fortune, often saying ”We are some lucky
people”. He loved to host a party and was famous for saying “You can’t fly on one
wing”; the family takes great joy in knowing he’s flying on both wings now. He will be
greatly missed and happily remembered by his family, his friends, and the community
he served.
The greatest gift he left his children can be summed up in this quote from Clarence
Buddington Kelland: “My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him
do it.”
All services are private at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial
contribution to the Colonial Heights Food Pantry, https://www.chfoodpantry.org/donate .
Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com .