Thomas Miller

Thomas (Tom) H. Miller, Jr., 74, of Farmington, NM., passed away at his home on April 12, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. He was born and raised in New Hope, Kentucky, to Lucille and Thomas H. Miller, Sr.

Tom served four years in the United States Navy. He settled in Honolulu, Hawaii after his military service where he lived for twenty-five years. He worked at Pearl Harbor as a mechanical engineering technician, but took a three-year break to live in Vacaville, CA., where he attended Solano Community College, before resuming his residency in Hawaii. In 1984 he moved his family to Phoenix where he worked on the Central Arizona Project for the Bureau of Reclamation before being transferred to Farmington in 1994 to work on Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP). After retiring, he went to work for the Southern Ute Tribe as their liaison on the Animas La Plata project in Durango, CO.

Tom was an avid builder and flier of remote control airplanes, but his greatest joy in retirement was playing guitar and singing first with High Desert Bluegrass then moving on to play in the Bluegrass band, Chokecherry Jam with whom he played for ten years. Band members Sue Coulter, Elaine Gapinski and Bob Ashley became family.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Barbara Ann Abel.

He is survived by his wife, Roberta Summers-Miller and sons, Kelly (Whitney) and Jason; granddaughters, Jordin, Maggie Sue, and Kelsey; great-grandchildren, Wyatt and TayLynn of Farmington; his brother Jim (Terry); nieces, Nichole and Pam, all of Louisville; nephew Chris (Melody) of Atlanta, GA; brother’s-in-law Richard (Marilyn) Jorgensen of Seattle, WA., Michael (Pamela) Jorgensen of Salina, UT. And sister-in-law April Jorgensen of Chelan, WA.

Tom is remembered fondly by many friends including sailing and traveling buddy, Dr. Richard Hess of St. George, UT. And long-time friend, Dr. Larry O’Connor of Newman, AR.

A memorial service will be held at 4 pm on Friday, April 20, 2018 at Bethany Christian Church on the corner of Butler and 30th St. A reception will follow in their Fellowship Hall. Farmington Funeral Home will be in charge of the arrangements. A donation to Bethany Christian Church may be made in lieu of flowers.

Military honors will be provided by the local VFW.