Jerry W. Miller Sr.

Jerry Wilton Miller, 93, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 28th. His was a long life, well lived. He is survived by his wife, and his high school sweetheart, Alice Jean (Castleberry) Miller. He and she recently celebrated 70 years of marriage, and he lovingly referred to her as "Sissy." He is survived by two daughters, Julie Miller and Jill Miller Goodman, and her husband David, along with their daughters, Reece and Sawyer. Being their "Papa" was his favorite thing in life; he was so proud of them. Sadly, he was preceded in death by his son Jerry "J " Miller, Jr. in 2016.

Jerry was a very playful, fun-loving Dad and Papa. Playing basketball with J and his friends, jumping on the trampoline with all the neighborhood kids, building blanket forts in the living room and playing hide & seek for hours with Reece and Sawyer, along with so many wonderful memories made on the beach. He was always a kid at heart.

Born in Sanford, NC on February 11, 1932, to A.K. and Ruth (May) Miller, and was the 11th of their 12 children. He was preceded in death by his parents, 3 sisters, and 8 brothers. He loved his family so much and as the “Favorite Uncle” he leaves behind many, many, nieces and nephews that loved him dearly.

Jerry attended and played football for Elon College, attended Mars Hill College and the NC State University School of Design. He was a diehard Wolfpacker! He also proudly served his country in the U.S. Army where he was a member of the Boxing Team. He had an extensive background in architectural design and started his own firm, which grew to be the largest home designing business in the Carolinas. He was the former president of the NC Association of Home Designers and past president of the NC Institute of Residential Design.

In 1966 he brought the Parade of Homes to Raleigh. He created an expansive body of work that included hundreds of pen & ink drawings and watercolor paintings. His paintings were commissioned for the former, Vice President George W. Bush and President Ronald Reagan and selected to represent North Carolina in the White House. His portfolio includes landscapes from the mountains to the coast, historical buildings including the Biltmore Estate and the Governor's Mansion, 200 churches, schools, colleges, universities, aircraft, trains and over 200 personal homes.

Jerry worked hard but he played hard too. In his younger years he played softball, football, boxed, waterskied, snow skied, played ping pong, tennis, billiards, and golf. Jean and Jerry also enjoyed traveling together and took many trips with friends, to destinations domestic and abroad.

If there are two words that are synonymous with Cary Spirit, those words are “Jerry Miller.” Jean and Jerry put their roots down in Cary in 1957 and those roots run deep. He was a charter member of the Cary Jaycees and one of the founders of the Cary Rotary Club. He illustrated and published "Around and About Cary" volume one in 1970 and volume two in 1994.

In 1977 he started the Cary Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, which has grown to be one of the largest festivals in the Southeast and has won awards. He has been the Cary Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, Rotarian of the Year and Herb Young Volunteer of the Year, just to name a few.

On February 11, 2012, his 80th birthday, the Mayor of Cary proclaimed it Jerry Miller Day. He won the Hometown Spirit Award and also graced the cover of Cary Magazine in 2013. He was featured on WRAL Tar Heel Traveler. He was inducted onto the Cary Wall of Honor in 2019. In 2022 he was honored with a bronze bust permanently located on the campus of the Cary Arts Center.

Our State Magazine featured him in their July 2024 issue and earlier this month he received the "Order of the Long Leaf Pine", the state's highest honor. We are so proud of all his accomplishments in life. A loving Husband and Dad, a playful Papa, a talented artist and a Cary icon loved by so many!

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., July 11th, 2025, at First Cary United Methodist Church, 117 S. Academy St., Cary, NC. Military honors, a time of receiving friends, and a reception will immediately be followed in the fellowship hall at the church. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Salvation Army in honor of Jerry at www.give.salvationarmyusa.org

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the “Add a Memory” box below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Miller family.