Max Earl Miller

When Max Earl Miller walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Max was and how he impacted those around him. Max was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Max wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Max was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

He was the son of Dorothy and Floyd Miller. Max was raised in Lawrenceville, Illinois. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Max might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Max was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Max was raised with one sibling. He had a younger brother, Tom Miller. Max was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Max was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Max well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Max was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Max was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Max took part in basketball. Max had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Max responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Lawrenceville Township High in 1946. Max was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Max absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Max, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Max a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.

Max did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Bachelor of Science at Indiana State. His favorite courses were business. He was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Frat (TKE). Max was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Max's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Max was always in quest of new things to learn and experience.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Max was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Max was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, his best friend was David Atkins. Later in life, he became friends with Howard Murrow.

On December 7th, Max married Patricia Thompson at Los Angeles, California. Max's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Patricia's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Max was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Max was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Max, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Miller home. Max's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Max was blessed with four children: three daughters, Helene, Marla and Lisa, and one son, Bryan. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Chase, Danielle, Briana, Kathryn and Johnathen.

Max was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Real Estate Broker, R.E. Development. Max was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Max had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Max's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Max was a Marine veteran. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Corporal and Sharpshooter. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

Max derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Max played basketball, football and ran track. Recreational sports included jogging. Max was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball and track.

Throughout his life, Max was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Max seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Max usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In college, Max joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon "TKE".

Max was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Long Beach, California. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Max's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included business man of the year.

Max's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Max took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included cruises to Mexico.

Max was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, Toto and Chewbacca, Cairn Terriers. Max had Toto for 12 years.

When Max's retirement finally came in 2004, Max handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Max to master. In retirement, he found new pleasure in reading the newspaper, watching sports and spending time with the family. Even in retirement, Max continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Max Miller passed away on February 15, 2011 at Chancellor Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. The cause of his death was congestive heart failure. He is survived by his four children, Helene, Marla, Lisa and Bryan and his grandchildren, Chase, Danielle, Briana, Kathryn and Johnathen. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary and Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Max. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Max Miller for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Max was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.