John Jackson Miller, Sr.

John Jackson Miller, Sr., 83, died of natural causes on Jan. 24, 2018, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. He was born in 1934 in Laurel Springs, Allegheny County, North Carolina, as the first son of Kemp & Flora Ellen Miller and their family of six children. In the late 1930s, the Miller family moved to start a new farm in Forest Hill, Maryland. He attended school in nearby Bel Air, excelling in his classes, including shop – and worked while still in high school for Jackson Radio and TV Service in the early 1950s.

In 1953, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Philadelphia, Pa. He completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was assigned to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1954, he was transferred to Millington Naval Air Station in Millington, Tennessee, where he received additional electronics training before beginning work as an instructor. During that time, he ascended to the rank of Sergeant.

While stationed at Millington, John met Johann Taylor, daughter of Nell & E.V. Taylor, who had served aboard LST-560 in the Pacific during World War II. Following the end of John’s active service, he and Johann were married on June 16, 1957. In 1960, John and family moved to Memphis where John began his own TV and radio repair service. For 40 years, John operated the firm later known as Miller Electronics, doing nearly all car radio repair and installation for most every Memphis domestic auto dealer as an independent contractor. John retired to his Cordova home in 2000 after having installed or repaired tens of thousands of televisions and radios. He was an avid gardener, and winner of several neighborhood awards.

He leaves behind Johann, his wife of 60 years; his sisters, Carolyn May of Delaware and Patricia Yawger of Hackettstown, N.J.; his daughter, Kathryn Miller Summers ( Dr. Samuel Timothy Summers) of Collierville; his son, John Jackson Miller Jr. an author (Meredith), living in Wisconsin; seven grandchildren; Timothy Summers (Desireé) of Reno, NV, Laurie, Joseph, Christopher, and Daniel Summers and John III and Josephine Miller and two great grandchildren Maggie and Tommy Summers. He is preceded in death by brothers Douglas and Kemp Miller and a sister Marilyn Voelcker.

The family will receive friends beginning at 2pm with a graveside service to follow at 3pm, on Sunday, January 28, 2018, at Memphis Funeral home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N Germantown Rd, Bartlett, TN 38133. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.