Miles Travis Drazic

August 2, 2004 – March 17, 2022

Miles Drazic, 17, died Thursday, March 17, 2022. He was born August 2, 2004, to his parents, Molly and George Drazic, and two loving brothers, Alexander and Evan. From an early age Miles could be a handful- he liked things his way. He was a young kindergartener, barely making the age cutoff. Principal Brad Wirht got to know him immediately on a first name basis, and because of this, his mother worried they wouldn’t let him continue on. But Mr. Wirht had the patience to work through this rocky start and got him headed in the right direction.

Over the years, Miles tried his hand at many things. He was an artistic child, making balloon animals, knitting, drawing on restaurant napkins, and even winning a pumpkin decorating contest with an incredible sharpie drawing. He began playing the guitar at age 10 and then in middle school, following in his brother Evan’s footsteps, he learned to play the cello. Miles recently returned to his interest in the guitar.

Miles was a dedicated and disciplined runner and was part of the track team in middle school, and then Cross Country/Track and Field in high school. He participated in karate from kindergarten into high school, achieving his junior black belt. Miles was the 2016 TKO State Champion and was recognized by his karate class as Competitor of the Year. In recent years, magic became a passion for Miles as he learned amazing card tricks on YouTube. During the Drazic’s Spring Break trips, Miles excelled at both skiing and snowboarding, unlike the rest of his family.

Like many teens, high school was a big adjustment for Miles. But he became an exceptional student, a lover of academics. Miles had a passion for math, often looking online for difficult problems to solve. While he leaned toward STEM classes, he was a strong student in all areas. He had a fascination for learning and recently told his dad he was interested in becoming a college professor. Miles was accepted to several universities offering an engineering physics degree, and was leaning towards becoming an “Illini'' at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The Drazics are members of First United Methodist Church of Austin, where Miles was baptized, confirmed, and active in the youth group. He participated in the children’s choir, Vacation Bible School every summer, Sunday School, and trips and retreats with the youth group. Miles was scheduled to be a team leader for this year’s high school summer mission trip, Appalachia Service Project, where he will be missed.

Miles was preceded in death by his grandparents, Milimir Drazic, Milana (Baba) Suput, and Joe Ray Custer. He is survived by his parents, George and Molly Drazic; his older brothers, Alexander and Evan; his grandmother, Janet York Custer; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

There will be a visitation with the family Saturday, March 26, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 5416 Parkcrest Dr. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, at First United Methodist Church of Austin, 1201 Lavaca Street, with a reception to follow in the Family Life Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to First United Methodist Church of Austin, where Miles enjoyed serving with Mobile Loaves and Fishes and the Appalachia Service Project.