THOMAS MILLER Obituary

CAPT. THOMAS HAYES MILLER, USN (RET.) Of Atlantic Beach, Florida August 8, 1940 to April 21, 2024 Capt. Thomas Hayes Miller, USN (Ret.), Navy lieutenant commander, world traveler, teacher, lifelong scholar, husband and father, died April 21, 2024, in Atlantic Beach, Florida. He was 83. Capt. Miller was born Aug. 8, 1940, in Louisville, Kentucky, son of U.S. Marshall Harry M. Miller and Ann Keith Miller. He completed his first college year at Virginia Military Institute, where his "Brother Rats" and the rigor and honor and patriotism were great memories for him. He graduated in 1963 from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He served in the Vietnam War as lone American advisor on board a vessel of the Republic of Vietnam Navy. He earned the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V. Navy, Marine Corps Medal with Combat V. Defense Distinguished Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal. He married Rosamond Hoyt Heroy, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Ward Heroy, on Sept. 12, 1970, in Huntington, New York. At that time, he was a White House aide to President Richard M. Nixon. Serving in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Tom was senior action officer in the project to bring women on board Navy combat ships, during President Jimmy Carter's tenure. He later commanded the destroyer USS Elmer Montgomery FF-1082 and was awarded an extra year of command. He deployed three times to the Persian Gulf and commanded the flag ship of Commander, Middle East, Force. As Flag Lieutenant to Commander, US Pacific 7 Fleet, he participated in the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 and was one of the last Americans out of Vietnam as the war ended. He served as Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Thomas B. Hayward's personal representative to the Secretary of State, and on the strategic planning staff (Asia) of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon and Joint Staff. He was executive assistant to the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, Surface Warfare in the Pentagon, and later executive assistant to Commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (USCINCPAC) under Adm. Ronald Hays, with flagship homeported in Japan. Tom and Ros enjoyed adventure travel and had many excursions to Africa, Egypt, China, Southeast Asia and Latin America, to name a few. They settled in 1985 in Aiea, Hawaii. After his long and decorated military career, Tom was director of The Pacific Forum, a foreign policy research institute focused on the Indo-Pacific. He then spent 22 years at 'Iolani School in Honolulu, where he taught history beginning in 1990. He served as headmaster from 1992-95. "He will be remembered for championing professional development for teachers and expanding the scope of sabbaticals. It was important to him that teachers grew in ways that also extended beyond the classroom via interest projects and research," said John Tamanaha ('Iolani Class of '87) in a tribute shared with the 'Iolani community. "Captain Miller retired from 'Iolani School in 2012 to spend more time on his studies of antiquities and Southeast Asian and tribal art. In recent years, he had made donations from his prehistoric and historic art collection to the school." The Millers were a loving couple with many friends and family, particularly from the Navy and 'Iolani. They lived a rich life together. They were married 45 years when Ros died in 2015 in Honolulu. Survivors include Rosamond Miller Helms (Eric) of Hilo, Hawaii, and William Ward Miller (Dawn Camner) of Asheville, North Carolina. Grandchildren are Sofie and Mukan Helms. Donations in his memory can be made to Kapi'olani Medical Center's playroom where Ros Miller volunteered for many years. www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/kapiolani. A memorial service will be held 9:30 a.m. May 19 at 'Iolani's Saint Alban's Chapel.