Jon Terrell Miller

Jon Terrell Miller passed away in his Tega Cay, South Carolina home on May 20th, 2023 at the age of 80. He was surrounded by his loved ones. Despite a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, Jon maintained his dignity, dry wit, loyalty, and curiosity until the end.

Jon was born to Aylmer and Arthur Miller on May 31, 1942 in Beloit, Wisconsin. After graduating from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attending Tulsa University for one year, Jon went on to study electrical engineering at Oklahoma State University. While attending OSU Jon pledged Sigma Chi and became a proud member of the fraternity. He continued serving Sigma Chi throughout his entire life. After graduating from OSU with a Bachelor of Science, Jon studied industrial engineering at Texas A&M, eventually receiving a Master of Science. After receiving his Masters he studied maintainability engineering at DARCOM Intern Training Center, graduating with yet another degree.

While attending OSU Jon met and fell in love with Ruthanna White. They were married on June 3rd, 1967 and, by 1974, had settled in Texarkana, Texas with three daughters (Courtney, Brooke, and Allison), a german shepherd named Hildi, a cat named Boo, and a parrot named Morgan. Here Jon opened a photo processing business while also working full time at DARCOM. In 1980 new career opportunities arose for Jon, moving the family east to Silver Spring, Maryland. Shortly after the move to Maryland, the family joined Our Savior Episcopal Church where Jon became senior warden of the vestry, youth director, and a choir member. Six years later they moved to a small farm in Olney, Maryland, where Jon and Ruthanna continued to raise their children, with a few welcomed additions: a herd of dairy goats, a pot belly pig named Isabella, a fabulous collie named Harvey, and four cats named Rebecca, Bessie, Jessie, and Zoro. During this time Jon also started his recording business and record label, Foxhaven Records, and, for more than ten years, provided and managed sound for the East Coast Jazz Festival. Throughout Jon’s very successful career as a Chief Information Officer he managed Information Technology departments for the US Government, Greenhorne and O’mara, Booz Allen, SAIC, Reilly, Wells Fargo, and Sigma Chi. After retiring from Wells Fargo in 2012 Jon and Ruthanna relocated to Tega Cay, South Carolina, with Tega the cat and Cay the parrot, to be closer to family and enjoy that sweet southern lifestyle.

Jon loved to do things for others and help out wherever he could. He was a true renaissance man and could do just about anything. If he didn’t know how to do something he would surely figure it out. From as early as his teenage years he had a passion for computers, electronics, mathematics, audio and visual recording, carpentry, painting and art, music, and goat farming. All of these passions thrived throughout his life, often via acts of service to others. He built a/v systems for multiple churches and schools, curated websites for friends and family, led the church youth group in elaborate musical and theatrical performances, contributed professional photography and printing services, and helped musicians bring their music to life through recordings.

Jon is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ruthanna Miller, his three children, Courtney Bellairs (husband Stephen), Brooke Kershaw (husband Mark), and Allison Miller, his six grandchildren, Miller, Bobby, Bristol, Tallulah, Josie, and Charlie, his sister Melissa Lamprich (husband Larry), brother Michael Miller (wife Debra), and several nieces and nephews.

A “Celebration of Life” service will be held at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina on Saturday, June 24th at 4pm. The family welcomes flowers or donations to the Grace Presbyterian Church Music Program, a program that both Jon and Ruthanna have participated in and have enjoyed supporting.

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