Fredric Miller

Remembering Fredric Alan Miller

Fred was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana on Oct 26, 1947 to Charles and Violet “Polly” Miller, the first of 5 sons.  Polly’s roots were in Crawfordsville and Charles’ were in Winchester, where Fred enjoyed many visits with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  His family heritage on both sides was one of farmers and close-knit kinship. He lived there until 1961, when he moved to the Washington, D. C. area with his family after his father left his position on the faculty of Wabash College, and took a job at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He first settled in Bethesda, Maryland, later moving to Rockville, and lived in the DC area for almost 50 years. He graduated from Walter Johnson High School in 1965 and attended Montgomery College. 

He was a lifelong spiritual seeker who traveled many different paths and visited such faraway places as Maui and   Wales.  He had a “hippie” period, which he never completely diverged from.   Fred enjoyed sports with his friends, the Senators & Redskins, going to the racetrack, reading, music, old movies, alternative diets, and his cats. Fred had a unique perspective on life, often shared with his characteristic sense of humor and humility. A gentle soul, he had many dear friends and was a devoted son, brother, uncle, great-uncle, and brother-in-law.  Truly a unique individual, he made a living transporting many interesting people around the nation’s capital as a taxi driver. A particular source of pride for Fred was the care he provided his father when he was dying of cancer. He coped with the big city but always yearned for the small-town community he loved in his youth. Ultimately he returned to Crawfordsville and spent his final peaceful years there in the company of new friends. 

Fred died on April 2^nd at Franciscan Hospital in Crawfordsville after a short illness. He left the world a better place and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Family survivors include his brothers Tom and Tim, sisters-in-law Mary and Patricia, nephews Jack (Corinna), Andrew (Unji), Charles (Mia), and Josef (Emily), and great-nieces and great-nephews Isla, Winona, Sonja, Tommy, Louie, Vinny, and Rowan. Also surviving Fred is his aunt Susie and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jeffrey, and brother Scott, who died in infancy.