Col. Jack Miller, United States Air Force, Ret.

Jack Miller was born on September 16, 1937 in Hardin City, Oklahoma and passed away on January 29, 2012 in Austin, Texas at the age of 74.

Jack shared the last 51 years of his life with his dearly beloved wife, Nancy, who he met at a church function in Denton, Texas, where they both attended North Texas State University. They married in 1961, just a day after Jack was commissioned into the Air Force.

Over the next thirty years Jack and Nancy lived in New Jersey, Missouri, California, South Dakota, Ohio, Nebraska, Greenland and Germany. Jack worked many of those years in missiles and logistics.

He earned his Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri while he worked in the missile silos.

Jack retired after thirty years, as a Colonel, and made his way home to Texas.

Jack and Nancy had a strong faith in Jesus Christ and his family attended churches of Christ throughout the world. Jack served as an elder in churches in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Fairborn, Ohio, Bellevue, Nebraska and Leander, Texas. He also preached for a year in Adelanto, California. He was active in prison ministry, taught through World Bible School and participated in mission trips to Italy and Jamaica.

Jack loved sports, the outdoors and travel. Many younger men left the racquetball court defeated, shaking their heads. Jack and his family enjoyed ski trips to amazing destinations like Lauterbrunen, Switzerland and Keitsbuhler, Austria. The family had a travel travel and boat and enjoyed trips to a lake or a beach.

The funeral service was on February 3 at the Beck Funeral Home in Cedar Park, Texas. In attendance were Patriot Guard Riders of the Austin area, who formed a line of American flags at the entrance to welcome the arriving family and friends.

After the service, the Riders led the funeral procession to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Killeen, Texas, where the family was greeted by Riders of the Centex area and fifty American flags blowing in the brisk Texas wind.

After the United States Air Force Honor Guard moved the flag draped casket from the hearse to the committal shelter, the Riders formed a line of flags along the front of the shelter.

The Honor Guard carefully folded the flag that draped the casket into the traditional triangle and passed it to a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. The detail of three rifles fired three volleys of fire, representing Duty, Honor and Country. The Air Force bugler played taps.

The folded flag was then presented to Nancy, as the family looked on, on behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force and a grateful nation for the faithful and dedicated service of Col. Jack Miller.

The family's minister then said the final prayers.

Col. Jack Miller was laid to rest on the sloping plain of the cemetery, and the American flag at the top of the hill was flying at half-staff.

Left to cherish his memory are Nancy, two sons, one daughter, nine grandchildren, two brothers, two sisters and a host of other family and friends.

With thanks to Beck Funeral Home for biographical information and photo.