Marvin E. Miller

Marvin E. Miller was known as many things to many people. He was a loved one, a friend, and someone very special. To family and friends who knew him best, Marvin will be remembered as a very exceptional person.

       He was the son of Nelson and Grace Miller. Marvin grew up in Ayersville, Ohio.

      Marvin had five siblings. He had an older sister named Virginia and four younger siblings named Donovan,Marilyn, Dan and Steve. Marvin was usually involved in all sorts of activities with his siblings and they shared many wonderful life experiences over the years. A happy memory that he talked about was going over to his Grandparents' farms and especially enjoyed his Grandma Kinner's pancakes! He loved them so much that when he became an adult he experimented in pancake making until he got the perfect result. He became known for his pancakes and his family says they were the best pancakes they've ever had! He also made fantastic coffee!

      As a young boy, Marvin had a number of interests. Like most children, he enjoyed playing and making up games. He was curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. He enjoyed riding a tractor in the fields on his grandparents' farms. Marvin was an active child who played baseball growing up and excelled in basketball. He played basketball in high school and in the Navy, which he joined at the age of seventeen. He liked to be involved in a variety of activities and played the trombone in the high school marching band. Marvin was known for his sense of humor and loved joking around and playing pranks. He was fun to be around and everyone loved him!

      A typical teenager, Marvin had a very happy high school experience, making that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He enjoyed some classes more than others and was especially good at any technical subjects, but mostly enjoyed the sports and playing in the band. He told how he would play the first half of a basketball game, then at halftime would run in the locker room and change into his band outfit and play in the marching band, then would quickly change back to his basketball uniform and play the second half of the basketball game!

      Marvin worked hard during his college years in Chicago, which were a challenge with all of the academics, responsibilities, and the move to a new city that accompanied them, but Marvin was able to manage the balancing act. He worked long hours in a bowling alley and various other jobs to pay his way through college. He set high standards for himself and got straight A's! He earned his degree in Electronic Engineering.

      Always considered a “good” friend to those he knew, Marvin enjoyed a broad group of acquaintances and several very close friends during his lifetime. His college roommate was Pete Cordoba, who he remained good friends with the rest of his life. As a young man he became good friends with Chuck Hendricks who led him to the Lord and then became his brother-in-law when he married Dorothy. He was also good friends with Dave Jennings. Later in life, he and his wife Dorothy became very close friends with Dennis Toby and his wife Charlene. They were also good friends with Eckhard and Marianne Seichter. Other special friends were Don and Grace Rule and Stephen and Rene Rule among many others.

       Empathetic and loyal, Marvin was committed to making his family happy.  Marvin worked hard to be a good father to his child and a great husband to his wife, Dorothy, and he did his best to fulfill their needs. Marvin was blessed with one child, a daughter, Cindy. Another blessing for Marvin was the gift of three granddaughters, Sherri, Holly and Heidi.

      Fortunately, Marvin enjoyed what he did for a living. Showing a strong work ethic, Marvin worked diligently and did his best to succeed in his career. His primary occupation was Electronic Engineering. He worked at many companies including Helicrafters, Shure Brothers, Bell and Howell, Motorola and Zenith. Marvin always sought to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Marvin was a Navy veteran. He was stationed in Key West, Florida and served at the end of World War II. Through his hard work, he became a Navy pilot and enjoyed stunt flying. He spent time out at sea on the huge Navy ships and was engaged in submarine combat.

      Marvin enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. His favorite activities included photography, gardening, and working on cars. He was content to enjoy his favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Marvin found pleasure in sports. In high school, Marvin played baseball, basketball and football. Recreational sports included tennis, ice skating, swimming, water skiing and snowmobiling. Marvin was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he had the chance to do so. Tops on his list was going to the Maine West basketball games. He enjoyed watching the Harlem Globe Trotters and going to the Ice Capades with his family. He and Dorothy loved watching water ski shows including the Tommy Bartlett Water Show in the Wisconsin Dells and watching the Wonder Lake and Twin Lake water ski teams perform.

      Marvin’s faith was so important to him! He was a devout Christian and knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. The Lord was more important to him than anything! He shared the gospel with everyone he met. He was a real prayer warrior and spent a long time on his knees every day. He read his Bible every day and was a real encourager to all who knew him!

      Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Marvin was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. He received a special award in the Navy for completing a 2-year course in 6 months. That was such a difficult accomplishment that the President of the United States presented the award to him! In his career, some of his most prestigious awards included electronic patents.

      Marvin enjoyed traveling and time away on vacations. It was a chance for him to renew and relax, to visit new places and experience new things. Favorite vacations included Colorado, Canada, Florida and Hawaii. One year his family traveled through all the states on the western half of the United States for a whole month. The next year they traveled the whole eastern half of the United States for a month. Marvin and his family visited every state except Alaska and also went to Canada a few times.

Marvin and Dorothy owned a lakehouse where they enjoyed spending a lot of time every week. They owned a canoe and a speed boat. They loved to water ski and both slalom water-skied till they were 76 years old! They also owned two snowmobiles and loved to snowmobile in the Winter, as well as ice skate on the lake.

      Marvin passed away on August 4, 2013 at in his condo in Palatine, Illinois. Marvin's heart and lungs got weak at the end of his life and he died of a heart attack. He passed away in his daughter's arms. He is survived by his daughter Cindy, son-in-law Brian, and granddaughters Sherri, Holly and Heidi. Services were held at the Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines, Illinois. Marvin was laid to rest in the Memory Gardens Cemetary in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

      Simply stated, Marvin was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by his family and friends as being a loving, caring and giving person, and someone who was a vital part of their lives with a huge heart for the Lord. Marvin leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life he touched will always lovingly remember Marvin E. Miller.