Thomas (“Tom”) Alfred Miller, age 91, passed away at home in Hillsboro OR on Dec 26, 2020 surrounded by family.

Tom was born in Dassel, Minnesota on 29 October 1929 to John William Miller II and Olive Quarnstrom. He was a farm boy and the youngest of eight children, 7 who lived to adulthood (5 boys and 2 girls). He grew up in the Dassel-Cokato area and attended Dassel High school 1942-1946, all during World War II. There were few qualified teachers available in those years due to the war effort, so Tom’s education consisted of what subjects could be taught by community members not serving in the war.

After Tom graduated from high school, he worked for Minnesota Valley Canning Company. In the fall of 1947, he went to work for Great Northern Railroad as a station clerk. In 1949, Tom moved to Abilene TX where he met Coy Nell Gandy in Abilene TX. The couple was married in September 1949. That same year, he was hired to work in the accounting department at Paymaster Oil Company which was eventually acquired Anderson, Clayton, and Co., and this began a 42-year relationship with the company.

His oldest daughter, Cheryl, was born in Abilene in September 1952, and the family then moved to Wilcox AZ. Many moves throughout the southwestern United States would follow. In July 1956, the family was residing in Pecos TX where his second daughter, Michele, was born. In addition to raising a family and advancing in his career, in 1958 Tom returned to school by attending night classes at Texas Western College in El Paso.

By 1966, Tom had advanced to the position of Assistant Manager of the El Paso District. Three years later, he became the Assistant Manager of the Vista Del Llano Farms in Mendota CA. The move precipitated a divorce from Coy Nell, and she and the girls remained in El Paso when Tom moved to California.

While in Mendota CA, Tom met Lillian “Lou” Peters at the California Excise Tax Board and fell in love. Lou had never married and loved to say that when she married Tom in October 1974, she became a wife, a mother, and a grandmother all at the same time! After their marriage in 1974, the company sent Tom and Lou back to Arizona to manage the Gilbert AZ cotton mill. Three years later, it was back to Fresno CA again. With that final move, Tom was made California District Manager for the company.

In 1983, Tom was promoted to Vice President of California Operations, a title he retained until his retirement in June 1992. Tom’s colleagues and team members admired him for his positive outlook, integrity, and leadership. He was known for having worked his way up from the bottom of the company through perseverance, employing a “can do” attitude, and “grit.”

Aside from his many roles in Anderson, Clayton, and Co., Tom was also very involved in the cotton industry. He was an active member of the California Cotton Ginners Association and served as President from 1981-1982. In 1989, he was named California Cotton Ginner of the Year. In 1991, he was then honored as the National Cotton Ginner of the Year. He was a very dedicated member of the Madera Lions Club and served on the Board of Directors. He also served on the boards of the American Diabetes Association and Fish Camp CA Water Association. Tom gave blood frequently and would boast of his 90+ liters of platelets that he had donated to the California Blood Bank. He loved to play golf and took every opportunity to be out on the links.

After his retirement, Tom and Lou traveled the United States in their motorhome and went on cruises to Alaska, the Panama Canal, and the Mediterranean. Despite their travels, their favorite place to be was their cabin at Fish Camp just outside the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. They loved the peaceful retreat and spent many treasured days there.

Lou passed away suddenly in April 2008. After grieving Lou’s loss, Tom spent time visiting his brother, Jim, in Florida and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In June 2017, Tom fell and broke his hip following which he moved from Madera CA to Hillsboro OR to live closer to his daughter, Cheryl, and her family. Tom loved being closer to his grandchildren and great grandchildren and the family’s black lab, Callie (pictured).

November 2020 brought a decline in Tom’s health and he passed away at his home on Dec 26, 2020 from heart failure. Tom is survived by his daughters, Cheryl (Rick) Wrzesinski and Michele (Chris) Sales, his four granddaughters, Lanae (Jason) Lindh, Cherisa (Ian) Zafft, Caryn (Dwayne) Corbin and Celina (Doran) DeGraw, as well as 17 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Burial will be in Madera CA cemetery next to his wife, L. Lou Miller.

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In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the following charities that Tom loved and supported:

-- MD Anderson Cancer Research Center https://gifts.mdanderson.org/

-- Yosemite Conservancy https://yosemite.org/giving/

-- Doernbecher Children’s Hospital https://www.ohsu.edu/doernbecher-foundation/ways-give