Mar 28, 1940 – Jun 25, 2026

John Leroy Miller, 86, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2026 in Grove City, Ohio.

He was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania in 1940 to Mary “Rose” Rosanna and Willis “Willie” Leroy Miller. According to family lore, because his parents still owed money from the birth of their first child two years earlier, the doctor arranged for medical students to observe John’s Caesarean delivery in exchange for forgiving the remaining bill. Unfortunately, this meant that Rose had to continue in labor until the students arrived for class the next morning.

He grew up with his parents and three sisters on a farm in Saegertown, PA, (pop: 1200). He was a basketball and football star in high school and after graduating he attended Gannon College in Erie, PA. Although he had excelled in high school, the Catholic college was not the right fit, and he left after one semester. He joined the Army and after serving in Korea, was stationed on a base in southeastern PA where he also worked on a dude ranch leading trail rides. On one of these trail rides, he met Charlotte “Sis” Wilcom (from Monrovia, MD) whom he would marry in February 1967. His microwave radio technician training in the Army led to a long career with ITT that took the young couple to Louisa, Virginia and eventually to Grove City, Ohio, in 1985.

They spent almost twenty years in Louisa where they raised two daughters, many goats, sheep, horses, dogs, chickens, and a few pigs. They became deeply involved in the community and many Louisans might still remember their backyard volleyball games and legendary pig (& goat) roasts over the years. The family has many fond memories of Louisa and still considered it their “home”.

Like his mother, John was a voracious reader and lifelong autodidact. In spite of limited means, he built an impressive personal library over the years with authors ranging from Edward Gibbon to Studs Terkel to Mary O’Hara. He and his sisters loved modern jazz as teenagers and he continued to appreciate and discover new music for most of his life. He was infinitely curious about many things and over the years his hobbies included gardening, square dancing, volleyball, homebrewing, and baking (his goat’s milk fudge and cinnamon rolls were family favorites). In addition to gardens that would stop traffic (literally), he took great pride in raising livestock that provided meat, milk, and eggs, and in the case of a few goats in particular, entertainment, for many years. He was able to spin his interest in making beer and wine into a side business selling homebrew supplies for many years and was well ahead of the craft beer boom.

John appreciated good food, good beer, and good company, and he was fortunate to enjoy an abundance of all three. He had a dry sense of humor and was often the funniest person in the room. Though John was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and passed away about 200 miles away in Grove City, Ohio, the years between were filled with curiosity, adventure, love, and laughter. He leaves behind countless memories, stories, and wisdom that will endure for years to come.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife Sis. He is survived by his daughters Tammy (Phil) Rollins in Grove City, OH and Jennifer (Stephan) Miller in Eugene, OR; his granddaughter Cassie Rollins in Chicago, IL; and his sisters Roberta Corso, Anna Gerhart, and Jeanne Miller in Northern CA. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, who take solace in knowing he was at peace and found comfort in the hope of being reunited with Sis, other loved ones, and the many pets he cherished. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to a local animal shelter or rescue organization in John’s memory.