Peter Otey Miller

Born May 30, 1941, in Richmond VA, Peter Otey Miller II died suddenly in Atlanta on February 6 due to complications of emphysema.  The third son of Polly Daffron and Virginius Newton Miller, Peter spent an idyllic boyhood in the woods around Richmond, camping, and sailing small boats on the Chesapeake Bay.  His rigorous classical studies at Benedictine High School were formative, the greatest impact of which was the integration of parochial schools in the Richmond diocese.  This controversial action opened Peter’s eyes to the moral imperative of equal opportunity and fostered bi-racial relationships – a transformative experience for a southern boy of that era and values he passed on to his children. The rigor of Benedictine did not initially transfer with Peter to college and he opted instead for the rigor of the US Army.  His aptitude for languages resulted in assignment to the Army Language School, Monterey CA, where he became fluent in Mandarin and spent weekends in San Francisco, where the beat poets were holding forth.  Peter spent the majority of his enlistment on Okinawa as a security analyst during the Vietnam War.  This experience resulted in a lifelong fascination with Chinese history and culture and an eventual degree from the University of Virginia in Asian Studies, a springboard for later travel in Asia. Subsequently, Peter’s career in the retail industry included management positions with Sears and Richway.  In 1989 he opened the Great Mall of China in Atlanta, the first store to be operated in the US by the Republic of China, and delighted in the vast array of goods that included museum quality jade and porcelain objects of art.  His career culminated as an executive recruiter for multinational retail brands. Peter was a bow-tie-wearing, dog-loving man with a passion for poetry, nature, and travel.  He photographed most of the waterfalls in north Georgia and expanded that hobby to include dramatic scenes from trips to Europe, Mexico, and China.  He and his wife especially loved gathering with friends and family at a variety of beaches in the Gulf and he was elated to discover that business deals could be transacted from a makeshift porch office.   He had a puckish sense of humor which enlivened the gatherings of friends and family and stayed with him right up to his death. Peter’s deep love for family was evident in the years he spent as a single parent to his son Peter and daughter Anne and, later, in his embrace of an ever-widening circle of progeny.  His 1986 marriage to Panke Bradley doubled the size of the family, which doubled again with the addition of eight grandchildren.  The untimely death of his sister-in-law Jane deepened the couple’s relationships with Lisa and Stephen Magged, much-loved niece and nephew.  St Luke’s church has occupied a central place in the life of the family, celebrating weddings and baptisms and surrounding the family with love and support in the face of crises:  a destructive house fire, a disabling injury to one child, and the near fatal illness of another.  Peter’s service to the church included chairing the Grants Committee, participating in the Intercessors Guild, Standing Together, Bridge Builders and the Crossroads mailroom.  He worked with his wife to create a refugee support group at St Luke’s and a program of contemplative practice that includes a centering prayer group and on-going theological studies through the Center for Action and Contemplation. Peter lived a good life and was blessed with a good death.  Family members mourning his loss include his wife Panke Bradley Miller; son Peter Miller III (wife Kristin); daughter Anne Thompson (husband Bob); stepsons Gavin and Alex Bradley (wife Tita); daughter-in-law Catherine Sabonis, and his grandchildren:  Charlotte and Kate Miller; Trip Thompson; Sebastian, Annabeth and Patrick Bradley; and Alexa and Lindsey Bradley.  His brother and sister-in-law Tom and Marianne Miller and their children also join in the celebration of Peter’s life. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Peter’s name to the Crossroads Community Ministries of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Atlanta are deeply appreciated.