1931
Duane
2016
Duane F. Miller
February 4, 1931 — December 13, 2016
Duane Francis Miller, a kind and generous man, died December 13, 2016, surrounded by family at his home in Hiawassee.
Duane was born February 4, 1931 to Glen Francis and Margaret Anna (Stiteler) Miller in Cozad, Nebraska. Duane was the eldest of three children. His family moved to Hastings Nebraska while he was in grade school. An excellent and respectful student, he was a favorite of his teachers. He played the baritone throughout school and was the drum major of the Hastings High School Marching Band. While on band tour he met the love of his life. A romance usually reserved for fairy tales, it spanned seven years of courtship and then was followed by another 63 years after Duane married Jean Gray.
His undergraduate education began at Hastings College. He was graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Later, he received a Masters in Business Administration from Michigan State University.
A dedicated, hard-working employee, his work ethic was developed at an early age. Some of his first work experiences included unloading freight cars full of bags of flour, and delivering the Hastings Tribune.
Duane was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy after college. While serving aboard the USS Brough, he participated in Operation Deep Freeze. As the ship's Operations Officer, Duane was responsible for ensuring the safety of both the ship's crew and those flying overhead from New Zealand to Antarctica.
A lifelong car guy, Duane and Jean relocated to Detroit in 1957 where he began his automotive career working for Pontiac Motors as a chassis design engineer. He always said that working as a development engineer for ride and handling on the 1964 GTO was the high point of his time with General Motors. In 1977 he joined Volkswagen of America as Director of Engineering. This position included a two-year assignment that took him and Jean to VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Duane rounded out his international career when he joined Nissan in 1988 working to organize their North American Research and Development center. He retired in 1996 as Executive Vice President.
Duane's passion for old cars began as a teenager when he and Jean worked to turn old cars into transportation out of financial necessity. In the 1960's, they acquired a 1911 Ford Model T as a "basket case" and restored it. Over the following 50 years, Duane owned, restored, repaired, or preserved a wide variety of cars, including examples spanning 12 decades.
Some highlights of his life included
• Getting his "barn find" 1911 Oldsmobile running, being awarded Grand Champion at Greenfield Village with the same car after it was restored, and later driving it to the top of Pikes Peak.
• Riding aboard the Goodyear blimp, as well as the Concorde SST
• Sailing over the Equator, around South America's Cape Horn and across the 180th Meridian while in the Navy.
• Being in attendance at the Orange Bowl to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers win to become the 1995 National Champions.
• National recognition for development work on the Endura bumper used on the 1968 Pontiac GTO.
• Development of the Volkswagen Sportruck.
• VIP attendee at all festivities at 1981 Inauguration of President Reagan.
Surviving family members are his loving wife, Jean Gray Miller of Hiawassee; daughter Robin (Michael) McGrath of Colorado Springs; son David (Pam) of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; sister Carol (Gary) Keast of Des Moines, Iowa; brother-in-law Bill (Dawn) Smith of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was "Opa" to five granddaughters Christina (Justin) Spring of Fairfax, Virginia; Mercedes (Michael) Schloop of Birmingham, Michigan; Adeline Miller of Birmingham, Michigan: Olivia and Sabrina Miller of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and one great-granddaughter Kathryn Marie Spring; many nieces and nephews, and countless treasured friends.
Duane was welcomed into heaven by his parents, his sister Marilee Anna Smith and a multitude of beloved family and friends already in residence, who have likely planned an old car tour to celebrate his arrival.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Good Shepherd Church PO Box 677 Hayesville NC 28904; Peacock Performing Arts Center PO Box 1426 Hayesville NC 28904 or Young Harris College PO Box 275 Young Harris GA 30582.
Please join us for a celebration of his life at 5:00 p.m. on December 17, 2016 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville, NC.
Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee in charge of arrangements.
Duane was born February 4, 1931 to Glen Francis and Margaret Anna (Stiteler) Miller in Cozad, Nebraska. Duane was the eldest of three children. His family moved to Hastings Nebraska while he was in grade school. An excellent and respectful student, he was a favorite of his teachers. He played the baritone throughout school and was the drum major of the Hastings High School Marching Band. While on band tour he met the love of his life. A romance usually reserved for fairy tales, it spanned seven years of courtship and then was followed by another 63 years after Duane married Jean Gray.
His undergraduate education began at Hastings College. He was graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Later, he received a Masters in Business Administration from Michigan State University.
A dedicated, hard-working employee, his work ethic was developed at an early age. Some of his first work experiences included unloading freight cars full of bags of flour, and delivering the Hastings Tribune.
Duane was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy after college. While serving aboard the USS Brough, he participated in Operation Deep Freeze. As the ship's Operations Officer, Duane was responsible for ensuring the safety of both the ship's crew and those flying overhead from New Zealand to Antarctica.
A lifelong car guy, Duane and Jean relocated to Detroit in 1957 where he began his automotive career working for Pontiac Motors as a chassis design engineer. He always said that working as a development engineer for ride and handling on the 1964 GTO was the high point of his time with General Motors. In 1977 he joined Volkswagen of America as Director of Engineering. This position included a two-year assignment that took him and Jean to VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Duane rounded out his international career when he joined Nissan in 1988 working to organize their North American Research and Development center. He retired in 1996 as Executive Vice President.
Duane's passion for old cars began as a teenager when he and Jean worked to turn old cars into transportation out of financial necessity. In the 1960's, they acquired a 1911 Ford Model T as a "basket case" and restored it. Over the following 50 years, Duane owned, restored, repaired, or preserved a wide variety of cars, including examples spanning 12 decades.
Some highlights of his life included
• Getting his "barn find" 1911 Oldsmobile running, being awarded Grand Champion at Greenfield Village with the same car after it was restored, and later driving it to the top of Pikes Peak.
• Riding aboard the Goodyear blimp, as well as the Concorde SST
• Sailing over the Equator, around South America's Cape Horn and across the 180th Meridian while in the Navy.
• Being in attendance at the Orange Bowl to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers win to become the 1995 National Champions.
• National recognition for development work on the Endura bumper used on the 1968 Pontiac GTO.
• Development of the Volkswagen Sportruck.
• VIP attendee at all festivities at 1981 Inauguration of President Reagan.
Surviving family members are his loving wife, Jean Gray Miller of Hiawassee; daughter Robin (Michael) McGrath of Colorado Springs; son David (Pam) of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; sister Carol (Gary) Keast of Des Moines, Iowa; brother-in-law Bill (Dawn) Smith of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was "Opa" to five granddaughters Christina (Justin) Spring of Fairfax, Virginia; Mercedes (Michael) Schloop of Birmingham, Michigan; Adeline Miller of Birmingham, Michigan: Olivia and Sabrina Miller of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and one great-granddaughter Kathryn Marie Spring; many nieces and nephews, and countless treasured friends.
Duane was welcomed into heaven by his parents, his sister Marilee Anna Smith and a multitude of beloved family and friends already in residence, who have likely planned an old car tour to celebrate his arrival.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Good Shepherd Church PO Box 677 Hayesville NC 28904; Peacock Performing Arts Center PO Box 1426 Hayesville NC 28904 or Young Harris College PO Box 275 Young Harris GA 30582.
Please join us for a celebration of his life at 5:00 p.m. on December 17, 2016 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville, NC.
Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee in charge of arrangements.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Duane F. Miller, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Memorial Services
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Starts at 5:00 pm
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
Guestbook
Visits: 33
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors