Walter Thomas "Tom" Miller
September 22, 1936 — January 20, 2024
Galveston
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Walter Thomas "Tom" Miller
Tom was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana on September 22, 1936, to Dr. Walter Thomas Miller Sr. and Viola Ordoyne Miller. Tom is survived by his wife Kasey Chisam Miller; brother Val Miller (Barbara); son Col. (retired) Walter Thomas “Tommy” Miller III; daughters Michelle Miller Deal (Mike), Mindy Miller (Dirk), Kathleen Seymour Vasquez (Bobby); grandchildren Chelsea Vasquez (Lauren Smith) and Zachary Vasquez.
Tom graduated from Ponchatoula High School, where he played football, baseball and ran track. He then attended Mississippi State University on both an ROTC and football scholarship where he started as quarterback for the MSU Bulldogs during the 1956-1958 seasons. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics. After graduation he served for two years as Lieutenant in the U.S Army at Fort Knox.
He worked as an engineer initially for Texas Instruments based in Dallas and then later for Lockheed Martin at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. His career spanned over thirty years working on the manned space programs of Apollo and the Space Shuttles where he managed teams working under mission control.
He was an active, long-time member of St. Christopher Episcopal Church where he served in multiple ministries, his favorite being as an instructor for the Bethel Series, an intensive Bible study. He also served under the radar in many capacities: teller, name tag coordinator, choir member, and volunteered at the thrift shop, vacation bible school and on mission trips.
Tom also loved to dance, especially Whip dancing (aka West Coast Swing) which he taught with his wife Kasey on a volunteer basis for 13 years. They belonged to the Bay Area Whip Dance Club where Tom also served for many years as its treasurer and database manager. He was also inducted into the National Boppers Hall of Fame.
Tom was even-keeled, unflappable, and had a dry sense of humor that made his friends and family laugh. He will be remembered for his deep faith and kindness, his generous spirit, his big smile, his joy of whip dancing and football, and his love of shrimp gumbo and banana pudding.
Graveside service will be at Ponchatoula Cemetery April 6, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to St Vincent’s House, 2817 Post Office, Galveston, Texas 77550.
Past Services
Graveside Service
Saturday, April 6, 2024
11:00am - 12:00 pm (Central time)
Ponchatoula Cemetery
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