Lee Miller

Article published Wednesday, January 2, 2008
LELAND MILLER, 1938-2007
Retired BGSU professor led mission trips

BOWLING GREEN - Leland "Lee" Miller, 69, a retired Bowling Green State University professor known for his passion to help others, died Saturday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

He suffered from renal cancer, Judy Miller, his wife of 44 years, said.

He was a teacher to the fullest extent, not only helping students throughout his career, but also as a father, in his church, and in the community, Mrs. Miller said.

"He could see what to do and did it," she said. "You could hardly mention something that needed to be done and he was doing it."

Mr. Miller retired in 2004 after more than 35 years as an associate professor of computer science at Bowling Green.

Before that he had taught math in Fostoria High School and at what was then Bluffton College.

"He made it seem effortless," colleague and friend Ron Lancaster said.

"It looked like he just came off the street and wants to talk to you now. The students really responded to that."

One of those students contacted the university recently with an interest in setting up a scholarship in Mr. Miller's name because, the student said, he wouldn't have become a computer science professor without Mr. Miller's support.

The first Dr. Leland R. Miller Scholarship should be awarded in the spring, giving a junior who is active in the community $1,000 to study computer science, Mr. Lancaster said.

A graduate of Pandora-Gilboa High School, Mr. Miller had a bachelor's degree in math from what is now Bluffton University, a master's degree in math from Bowling Green, and a doctoral degree in computer science from the University of Missouri at Rolla.

His years at Bluffton established his Mennonite values of service to others, Mrs. Miller said. Through the First Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green, of which Mr. Miller was a longtime member, he helped organize mission trips to those in need in the south.

A group of 15 to 20 people would make a weeklong trip to Mississippi, Kentucky, or West Virginia once a year for more than a decade to help residents repair their homes.

"He was our anchor and leader of the group," said Larry Sorrells, a friend of Mr. Miller's through the church.

Mr. Miller would organize the trips and fund-raisers to pay for them throughout the 1980s and 1990s because he wanted to be able to improve the quality of life for those people in need, Mr. Sorrells said.

"He was one of the most gentle human beings to ever walk the face of the earth," he said. "His passion came from caring and his passion came from his love of people and trying to make his life better for people."

Mr. Miller also used his passion for tennis to help others. He and a few friends organized the Bowling Green Community Tennis Association about six years ago to promote the game.

Members give free lessons to children and organize tournaments to encourage participants to stay active with tennis.

"We called him the sly fox jokingly because this guy always had the best hands at the net and he could always fool you because you think he's going one direction and he'd go the other," said Andy Drumm, of the association.

Mr. Drumm said Mr. Miller particularly liked helping high school students perfect their game.

Mr. Miller enjoyed helping his three children with home repairs and remodeling, and when he picked up the hobby of woodworking, each received some furniture as well, Mrs. Miller said.

He beamed with pride whenever he talked about his children and enjoyed being a grandfather, she said.

"He really is a family man," she said.

Mr. Miller is survived by his wife, Judy; sons, Craig and Scott; daughter, Kristen; brother, James, and three grandchildren.

A celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 12 in First Presbyterian Church, Bowling Green. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. at the church.

The family plans a private funeral.

Dunn Funeral Home, Bowling Green, is handling arrangements.

The family suggests tributes to the Dr. Leland R. Miller scholarship fund at BGSU through the BGSU Foundation, the Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton College, or the National Cancer Institute.