R C Gunnar Miller

Gunnar Miller died peacefully at home on December 1, 2020. Gunnar was born December 4, 1933, in Mingo County, West Virginia. He grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. He was the son of Clifford Clay Miller of Rock Camp and Richwood, West Virginia and Elsie Christine Chambers of Matewan, West Virginia.

Gunnar attended Huntington High School where he made life-long friends. During high school years, he participated in sports and learned the art of place kicking with his high school football team.

He graduated from Marshall University with a degree in Accounting and Finance and a minor in Psychology. At Marshall, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Psi Chi scholastic honorary, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Varsity “M” Club and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity.

He was the place kicker for the Thundering Herd participating in what was the most remarkable upset in Marshall football history. He was one of only 18 players on a team with a winless record to upset the powerful 44 member Ohio University in the final game of the 1954 season. In the first ever televised game for Marshall University, with a broken arm, Gunnar kicked a 36 yard field goal from the left hash mark late in the 4th quarter to give Marshall a 9 – 6 upset victory. He was dubbed the “Golden Toe”. He explained to local journalists covering the game that you “kick with your foot and not your arm”.

Gunnar earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law.

He was employed following law school with the Jacksonville firm of Jennings, Watts, Clarke and Hamilton in the practice of real property, probate, and trust. In subsequent years he served as Real Estate Division Chief of the City’s Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Hans Tanzler administration at a time when the City of Jacksonville was acquiring land for urban renewal for development of the downtown campus of Florida Junior College (now Florida State College at Jacksonville) and University Hospital (now UF Health, Jacksonville). Later, he was the Trust Officer of First Guaranty Bank and Trust and served on the Trust Investment Committee of the Florida Bankers Association. Gunnar went into private practice acting as managing trustee for individual private trusts. He celebrated his 50th year before the bar in 2010.

Over the years, Gunnar held membership in Riverside Baptist Church and The Church of The Good Shepherd and frequently attended Riverside Presbyterian Church. He occasionally attended Ahavath Chased Synagogue to hear Rabbi Howard Greenstein preach.

He was responsible for the restoration of the 25-meter indoor swimming pool at The Church of The Good Shepherd and enjoyed his time supporting the Boy Scouts of America, specifically Troop 2.

For 45 years, Gunnar enjoyed meeting Murray Jenks for morning coffee and discussing important events of the day. Those meetings began at the Thompson House and progressed through various venues ending at Richard’s Sandwich Shop where their age and unique brand of humor and wisdom were truly appreciated.

Gunnar and Betsy enjoyed world travel and skied with Larry Lynch and the beloved Farm Group; traveled to Africa, Alaska and rode on the St. John’s River with Dr. Frank Scott; and, enjoyed cruises with Dr. George Trotter. He was an enthusiastic member of “The Butt Busters” a group of friends who biked with Dr. Neil Abramson through scenic areas of the western United States, Canada, The Netherlands, France and Scotland. Most of all, Gunnar and his family enjoyed traveling back to his home state of West Virginia, spending time with Jim St Clair and the St Clair family. Those road trips remain part of Miller family lore.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betsy Dent Miller, three children, Daisy Bibb Miller Davidson (Michael F. Jr.), Alison Elizabeth Miller and Clifford Clay Miller, all of Jacksonville, Florida, and three grandchildren, Michael F. Davidson, III, “Trip” (Kasey) of Cary, North Carolina, Gunnar Archibald Davidson and Elinor Dent Davidson, and great grandchild, Logan Henry Alexander Davidson.

The Miller family is grateful to the caregivers who attended to Gunnar in the final years of his life including: Marie Voltaire, Isbanitte Jean-Louis, Aunack Florvilus, Olberson Jean-Louis and Norcelia Norcius. Special thanks to the staff of Northeast Florida Community Hospice for their guidance and care.

An outdoor memorial service will be held at Oaklawn Cemetery, 4801 San Jose Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2020. All are welcome.

“Strive to be happy, life is short, time has a way of running out.”