Fred James (Jim) Miller, age 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Glen Carbon on Friday August 11, 2017. Jim was born on September 11, 1926 in Thomas, Oklahoma, the son of the late Fred James Miller and Lillian Cooke Miller. His parents and his first wife, Patsy Wilson Miller, pre-deceased him.
He is survived by a large and loving family, including his wife of thirty-six years, Rose Marie Miller (Buchmann Roach) and sons Dale Wilson Miller (Marilyn), Alan James Miller (Kathy), Robert Corwine Roach (Barbara), Andrew Thomas Roach, Phillip Matthew Roach (Michelle), a daughter, Kimberly Roach Poteet (Dave.) Jim’s six grandchildren, Laura Miller Plencner (Chris), Rachel Emily Miller, Sarah Elizabeth Miller, Douglas James Miller, Jack Henry Lommen, Charles Emile Lommen and great-granddaughter,
Evelyn Marie Plencner, also his brother Karl Miller (Therese) and three nieces, Chris Miller, Karen Miller Demerly and Kathy Miller Moon.
Jim moved to St. Louis as a young boy and graduated from Roosevelt High School in January of 1944. He attended the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy for one year until he was drafted into the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers. He served as a First Lieutenant with the Army of Occupation in Vienna and Salzburg and was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal.
Upon separation from the Service, Jim re-enrolled at the University of Missouri receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1949. He then worked for the City of St. Louis and was certified as a Professional Engineer with the State of Missouri. Jim then joined H.K. Ferguson Construction Company as a civil engineer.
Jim and Patsy Wilson were married in Edwardsville, Illinois on May 5, 1951. Patsy and their two young sons moved up and down the East Coast with Jim as he was assigned to various construction
projects in Hamilton, Ontario; Portsmouth, Virginia; Cleveland, Ohio and New York City.
In May of 1962, Jim and his family returned to Illinois where he joined the firm founded by Patsy’s father, S.M. Wilson Construction Company in Granite City, Illinois. Jim was a very kind and respected man in the industry. He was instrumental in obtaining and maintaining work for S. M. Wilson in the Industrial market including multiple projects with Granite City Steel, Olin Corporation, Air Products, 3M Co. and many, many more.
He retired from S. M. Wilson as a Senior Vice-President in 1995.
Jim was a kind and loving man with an underlying dignity of character. He was an eternal optimist with a marvelous sense of humor and considered himself a “lucky man” with many blessings, including the birth of his first great-grandchild in 2015.
He and his wife, Rose Marie, traveled fairly extensively in their retirement years and on one trip back to Austria actually stayed not only in the same hotel he was billeted in for “R&R” during his wartime service, but in the same room! Friends who knew Jim well would understand that did not happen by accident.
A memorial and celebration of Jim’s long life will be held on Saturday August 19th from one to three p.m. at the Ginger Creek Clubhouse in Glen Carbon. All friends of Jim and his family are lovingly invited to attend.
Jim loved his family, his country, classical music, the St. Louis Cardinals and a good cigar (not always in that order). In lieu of flowers, please attend a ball game and root for a Cardinal victory in memory of Jim.

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