Curtis Charles Miller

Curtis Charles Miller, formerly of Kalamazoo, MI and Shamokin, PA passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on August 11, 2025 in Park Ridge, Illinois.

Curtis is survived by his children Karen Miller (David Morris) and Mark (Jaehee) Miller; grandchildren Jasmine Miller, Leia Miller, and Laura Morris (Jim Miller); and cherished sister Lois (Tom) Martin. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews who were dear to him.

He is preceded in death by his wife Carol Miller (Kohler), sister LaRue Schlegel (Miller), brother Chet Miller, mother Ruth Miller (Waldrof), and father Casper Curtis Miller.

Curtis was born on November 26, 1935 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania and attended public schools in the area. Both he and his wife Carol attended Shamokin High School, where he graduated in 1953. Both Curtis and Carol kept in touch with many alumnae from the high school and attended high school reunions regularly even after they moved far from the area.

In high school, Curtis played baritone and then later the sousaphone in the marching band. Although slim in build, Curtis also enjoyed the challenges and rewards of being on the wrestling team. From the age of 12 until he graduated high school, Curtis worked at a local farm owned by the Gessner family near Shamokin. There he learned the value of tough physical labor as well as the fundamentals of agriculture and animal husbandry – and no doubt the joy he also derived from being in the outdoors, whether it was working in his yard or going on adventures with his wife and children in his later years. At the age of 17, Curtis joined the Army. During boot camp, he was wholly convinced that he would be shipped off “to be cannon fodder” (in his words) in the Korean War. However, when the armistice agreement was signed to end the fighting in Korea, Curtis was elated to be sent to Germany, where he would spend 3 years, finishing his service as a supply sergeant. While stationed in Germany, Curtis had the opportunity to travel to many countries in Europe and grew to enjoy visiting new places and taking photographs. He also learned to ski at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which would be a sport that later turned to a passion that he shared with his family and friends for the rest of his life.After returning to Shamokin from military service, Curtis married Carol in June of 1958 and the two moved to State College so that Curtis could pursue his education at Pennsylvania State University, courtesy of the GI bill. They later moved to Iowa where Curtis finished his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1961 at Iowa State University. The couple then moved to Michigan where Curtis worked as a dairy fieldman with the Dairy Department at Michigan State University in East Lansing. With the birth of their daughter, Karen, Curtis realized that he needed to continue his education in order to get a better job and support his family in the way he wanted. He enrolled in the Dairy Department at Michigan State University, and completed his master’s degree in dairy science animal breeding in 1965 and then his doctorate in quantitative genetics/statistics in 1968.

Curtis and Carol eventually came to reside in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1968, where they raised their family as Curtis began his career in pharmaceutical research and development at the Upjohn Company. Curtis loved his career as it was personally and professionally gratifying, and he eventually rose to be Vice President of the Research and Development for the Animal Health Division. He was fond of telling his children that his only wish for them would be that they could find a career they would find as satisfying as his had been. He valued education and loved learning. Yet, he was patient in his own children’s educational choices as they went to college and made their own decisions about their studies. Both Karen and Mark felt fully supported by Curtis as they found their own paths. His children remember Curtis telling them that they “should take every opportunity during college to learn and grow,” no matter what that decision meant. At their residence in Kalamazoo, Curtis developed his love of yard maintenance and gardening. His lawn was the envy of many, and his flower gardens became works of art. Curtis first learned to love roses but then developed a love of flowering bulbs, planting tens of thousands of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and lilies in the “dream house” that he and Carol had built in the Galesburg area in 1995. Newspaper articles were written, photos of many a prom couple were allowed to be taken in Curtis’ “special gardens” and his yard was a joy to wander through. He spent countless hours every fall refreshing his bulbs and he truly loved tending to his “endless task” of making things just the way he wanted them to be. Yard work was never “work” to Curtis but rather a sense of satisfaction and growth.Curtis and Carol valued their family beyond all else. They created a home atmosphere where their children felt loved and secure. And they involved Karen and Mark in church activities and helped them to learn to enjoy music and reading. Curtis was instrumental in taking the family on trips to explore the great outdoors, including RV trips to the west coast, the east coast, and back again to the Rocky Mountains. In between, he made sure his family and friends went “up north” to northern Michigan for annual ski trips that were filled with great physical activities and nights around the table playing card games and board games. Curtis continued to travel the world on wonderful adventures. He and Carol hiked end to end on Isle Royale in 1985 and later the two took many sightseeing tours throughout Europe. The two of them traveled to several tropical locations where he went scuba diving and she enjoyed the warm weather. He did winter camping trips with Mark and spent 10 days in the wilderness exploring Alaska. With Karen and David, he continued annual skiing trips to Colorado, Utah, Canada, and France, and he continued skiing until he was in his late-70s. At the age of 68, Curtis traveled to Tanzania where he summited Mount Kilimanjaro.Curtis volunteered his time and expertise where he felt his skills could be beneficial – from being chairman of the church leadership to being president of the HOA in his neighborhood. Along the way, he especially treasured the friendships and camaraderie that he and Carol had with several families from the Eastwood Church of God. Curtis was a loving husband to Carol for 66 years. He was also a warm and supportive father to his children and a wonderful and funny, kind Grandpa to his grandchildren. He was a loving and nurturing brother to his younger siblings, who appreciated their relationships with him all of their lives. He will be remembered by his family as a role model, a provider, and a friend and confidant to them for the entirety of their lives. Others may remember him as being an honest and gentle man who loved his family and community. He lived a full and inspirational life.

A joint memorial service for Carol and Curtis will be held on October 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Farley Estes Dowdle, 9170 East D Avenue, Richland, MI. Interment at Fort Custer National Cemetery, 15501 Dickman Rd. Augusta, MI will take place at 1:30 p.m. and a reception will follow. Please RSVP to the reception to Karen Miller at karenm446@comcast.net or 847-858-8046 for the venue information. Personal messages for Curtis’s family may be shared at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.