Mr. David Lloyd Miller

David Lloyd Miller, 66 (Pelham, AL) passed away in his home surrounded by his loving family on Sept.15, 2014 following a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife Laurita Mullins Miller (Pelham), son David “Dutch” Miller, Jr. (Pelham), daughter Sarah Leah Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio). He was preceded in death by his parents Mr. And Mrs. Lloyd Miller (Brownstown, IL), paternal grandparents George and Daphne Miller, maternal grandmother Mary Fisher and special “adopted grandmother” Mary Leah “Mayme” Griffith. Miller graduated from Brownstown High School , IL in 1966. He attended Walker Junior College, Jasper, AL and Samford University, Birmingham, AL on basketball scholarship, earning his Bachelor of Arts in English, History, Pre-Law from Samford in 1970. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1977. He served as Assistant District Attorney, Alabama Sixth Judicial District, Tuscaloosa 1977-78 and practiced law in Vandalia, IL from 1979-99. Because of his childhood and young adult background in churches in Illinois and Alabama, Miller developed a love for and skill in performing and directing religious music. He served as interim Minister of Music of the First Baptist Church of Vandalia on several occasions while a member there. When he moved back to Alabama, he became the Associate Pastor and Minister of Worship of the Community Baptist Church in Maylene, AL from 2003 until his recent death. A true Renaissance man, Miller actively enjoyed many skills and talents: he was a skilled carpenter, an avid reader and prolific writer, an accomplished photographer, painter, sketch artist, cartoonist and caricaturist; he was an avid collector of music of all kinds—pop, religious, Hawaiian, classical. His writing and journalistic skills were developed as a high school yearbook co-editor, Samford Crimson staff writer and editorial cartoonist, and, most recently, as the editor of the Moundville Times, Moundville, AL 2010-2013. “Big Dave” was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinal fan and a 35 year BAMA fan starting with his time in Tuscaloosa working for several years as a sports news caster for WCFT-TV, highlighted by weekly interviews with the immortal Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and other coaching greats like C.M Newton and Adolph Rupp. A celebration of Dave Miller’s life will be held at 7:00 pm, Wed., Sept. 17 at Community Baptist Church, 8254 Highway 17, Maylene, Alabama, preceded by the family receiving friends at the church 5-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, special memorial gifts may be made to the Ministry of Community Baptist Church, P.O. Box 159, Maylene, AL 35114. Pastor James C. “Bo” Brown will officiate the celebration.