Dr. Thomas A. Miller was called to heaven Tuesday, May 28, 2019 after suffering for 10 years with heart disease and dementia. He was surrounded by his family as he left this earth.

Dr. Miller was a graduate of Anderson (Indiana) University, earned a Master’s degree at Wichita (Kansas) State University and was awarded a doctorate by the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His teaching career began at Wichita State, then he moved to Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond) and back to Wichita State before he accepted a position at Warner Pacific College in Portland.

While in Wichita he was conductor of the Wichita Choral Society and conducted the choir at Central Christian Church. His work in Kentucky included directing the choirs at Union Church, Berea, and writing original compositions for the Kentucky Educational Television network in Lexington.

Having camped and fished in Oregon with his family as a child, Tom was eager to return and live in the Pacific Northwest. As chair of the Music Department at Warner, he led choirs on annual tours throughout the western and midwestern United States. He received the outstanding educator award from Warner, as well as being named Outstanding Music Alumni from Anderson University in 2005.

He led numerous European tours and conducted in many of the major concert halls and cathedrals throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, Notre Dame in Paris, Canterbury Cathedral and St. Peter’s in Rome.

Dr. Miller was president of the Oregon chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association and later became president of the northwestern division of that organization. His name is included in numerous “Who’s Who” publications and he has both choral compositions and published articles to his credit. He directed church choirs at Lake Grove Presbyterian Church and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lake Oswego.

Tom’s parents, Dr. T. Franklin and Gertie Miller, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Sandra; son, Thomas Scott; a sister, Sue Ellen Spaulding (husband Spencer) of Anderson, Ind; and five nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, June 21, 2019, at Living Savior Lutheran Church, 8740 S.W. Sagert Street, Tualatin, OR. Memorial donations may be made to any choral organization of your choice.