John Willis Miller

John Willis Miller of Ringgold, Georgia went to be with his Savior on July 13, 2020. Ninety two years young, he lived his life with humor, optimism, generosity, and a strong Christian faith. He loved his friends, decorating his home, planting spring flowers, and travel, but most of all he loved his family, including all his “adopted” children. He was guided by his faith in Jesus Christ and was a faithful witness to all he met, never hesitating to ask if they had a personal relationship with our Savior. He was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and a Christian witness to countless souls. If a person’s life is measured by the lives they touch, John Miller certainly had a life well-lived!

He was a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, growing up in the old West Side of downtown and then moving with his parents to the family home in East Lake. He later moved to Brainerd and then to Ringgold. He taught Sunday School for most of his adult life, teaching both adult and youth classes at Highland Park and East Ridge Baptist Churches. John especially had a heart for youth, and was a Leader with the Boy Scout Troop 108, Word of Life Bible Club, East Lake Jr. High Bible Club, and founded the Boy’s Bible Class at Highland Park Baptist Church. He would faithfully travel all around the East Lake neighborhood and pick up his “boys” in his Packard ambulance to take them to Sunday School and church. He organized neighborhood youth sports teams for football and basketball, took his boys to the Boy’s Club, and to the Blue Hole for swimming on Saturdays during the summer. His message was always the same; have fun and keep Christ first in your life.

John graduated from Chattanooga Central High School. He worked at Dixie Mercerizing, then began a career in the newspaper business first as a District Manager in the Chattanooga Times Circulation Department, and then led the new Chattanooga Post newspaper as the Circulation Manager. He then took his “people” skills to serve in government as the Personnel Director for Hamilton County, Tennessee, where he served for over two decades.

He was preceded in death by a step-son, Jerry Donald Irvin of Boaz, Alabama.

Survivors include his wife, Alma Ruth Hubbard Miller of Ringgold, Georgia; one son, Timothy Scott Miller (Julie) of Chattanooga, Tennessee; one daughter, Frances Miller Beene (Robert) of Cleveland, Tennessee; one step-son, Stanley Bruce Irvin of Boaz, Alabama; five grand-daughters, Lindsey Miller Alley (Nick) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Rachel Catlin Miller of Atlanta, Georgia, Michelle King Barker (Christopher) of Knoxville, Tennessee, Chanda Irvin Bartlett (David) of Scottsboro, Alabama, Kristie Irvin McDuffie (Danny) of Boaz, Alabama, and one grand-son Richard Lee King (Shelly) of San Antonio, Texas.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Royce Powell officiating. Entombment will follow the service at Hamilton Memorial Gardens.

There will be a private family visitation only.

Pallbearers include Nick Alley, Christopher Barker, David Bartlett, and Richard King, Danny McDuffie, and Ron Norman.

Please share your memories of John with the family at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, TN 37343.