Luena Peggy George and Thomas Lester Miller
THOMAS LESTER MILLER, son of AGNES ALEXANDER BUTLER and LESTER THOMAS MILLER, was born September 24, 1922 in Marrietta, Washington, Ohio,628, 3014 and died May 7, 2012 in San Diego, San Diego, California.2564
He married LUENA PEGGY GEORGE on December 18, 1942 in Patterson Field Chapel, Ohio.4931 She was born June 26, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah,4931 and died October 14, 2000 in Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana.4931
Marriage Announcements and News
Dayton Daily News, December 19, 194212723
The chapel at Patterson Field was the scene of a wedding, important in military circles, Friday evening, when at 8 o'clock, Miss Peggy George and Lt. Thomas Lester Miller were married in the presence of a smart assemblage of guests.
The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Harold H. George of Redlands, Cal., and the late Brig. Gen. George, and Lt. Miller is the son of Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Lester T. Miller of Patterson Field.
The ceremony was performed by Chaplain Carl C. E. Mellberg and organ music was played preceding the exchange of vows. The bridal setting was created at the altar by palms, many cathedral tapers and large clusters of gladioli and snapdragons in shades of pink and cream.
The bride took her vows in a gown of white lace created along princess lines, with long tight sleeves and a skirt which developed into a train. She completed her bridal ensemble with a tiara of pearls from which fell a bridal veil of tulle fingertip length. She carried white roses in a shower. The bride walked to the altar with her father, who gave her in marriage.
Miss Agnes Miller, sister of the bridegroom was maid of honor and the bride's only attendant. She wore a frock of blue tulle, with a floor length skirt, and carried talisman roses.
Everett Coheney, former roommate of the bridegroom at the University of Michigan, served Lt. Miller as best man and the ushers were William Kenney, student at the University of Cincinnati, and Lt. Robert Bogert of Wright Field.
A reception was held at the Officers club after the ceremony with members of the military set present and a few civilian guests. Mrs. George, the bride's mother, was in a gown of grey crepe, finished with a red velvet sash. She wore a corsage of red roses. Mrs. Miller, the bridegroom's mother, wore a black crepe gown, trimmed in sequins. Her corsage was of orchids.
White snapdragons and white chrysanthemums were clustered on the bridal table, which was centered with a bridal cake.
When Lt. and Mrs. Miller left for a short wedding trip, the latter wore for traveling a beige wool dress with a brown hat and accessories and a beaver coat. Lt. Miller has been assigned to the Fairfield air depot.
Mrs. Miller attended Albion college in Albion, Mich., and the University of Redlands in California. Her father, Brig. Gen. George, was killed recently in an accident while serving in the United States forces in Australia.
Lt. Miller attended the Aeronautical Engineering School of the University of Michigan, and was a member of Chi Psi fraternity. He was graduated from the army air forces Armament school at Lowry Field, Dec. 12, when he received his commission as a second lieutenant.
Among the prominent guests from out of the city attending the wedding were Mrs. George F. Kenney, wife of Lt. Gen. Kenney, and Mrs. Eva Miller Nye of Athens, sister of Brig. Gen. George.
Obituaries
Thomas Lester Miller
September 24, 1922 - May 7, 2012
Col. Thomas Lester Miller has transitioned through the portal we call death in peace and surrounded by loving hearts. He was born on his father’s birthday, September 24 1922. His Dad, Lester Thomas Miller, and Mother Agnes Alexandra Butler were part of the aviation pioneers of the early 20th century. Lester or “Tubby” as he was known knew Orville Wright and was a balloon Pilot in the First World War. Growing up in the Military milieu Tom wore uniforms of one sort or another through half his life. He grew up mostly on bases, his favorite always being Hawaii. When LT Miller was a Brig. Gen., he had the honor of conferring on his own son his commission as an officer in the Army Air force upon graduation from cadet school in 1942.
That same year Tommy began his romance with the daughter of Brig. Gen. Harold H. George (George AFB), Luena (Peggy). The handsome young couple were married the same year and went on to have five children; Robin, Lynn, Leslie, Thomas Taylor and, after a seven year hiatus, Michelle. Tom and Peggy divorced in 1969. He later married Mary Mitchell, and, after she passed, Cecilia Alapa of Hawaii.
Tom attended University of Michigan between enlistments and received his BS in Electrical Engineering. As a Major he was awarded the Medal of Commendation in 1962 for his role as Strategic Command Chief of Electronic Warfare or the Wild Weasels. He worked at North American Aviation and Autonetics after going into the Reserves as a Lt. Col.. He later retired from the Air Force as a full Colonel. He worked on the Apollo Project as an aerospace engineer. He was part of the team that developed the landing system for the moon unit, Eagle. He studied oceanography and was a qualified SCUBA diver, which he recertified in 1990 to swim the Barrier reef off the coast of Australia.
The layoff of the 1970’s found him without work, so he went for his Masters Degree at UC Irvine. He then traveled back to Virginia, the home of his mother’s family, to work in Washington DC with the new department of HUD called FEEMA. He became the authority, wrote textbooks and policy on flood planes & flood plane maps. Sen. Proxmire commended Tom’s department as the most efficient in the organization. Tom retired to Hawaii where he lived for approximately 18 years, before coming to live by son, Tom, in San Diego, CA.
Tom was always interested in physical fitness. He was a body builder and runner. He would make odd green concoctions and insist they were quite drinkable (!). He was happiest when sweat was dripping off his nose and chin. This trait is apparently a family tradition as all his children and grandchildren are walkers, runners, tri-athletes and yoga instructors.
He was also intensely interested in spiritual matters and searched for answers in many traditions. This too he passed on to his descendants. He had wanted to be a preacher in his early life, but his father’s strong military background won out.
He was a complex man; brilliant, volatile, tender, funny, quirky, tragic, loving. He passed in peace to the arms of the Dear One and with the hearts of all who love him May 7, 2012. All his children, 10 grandchildren and 9 and a half great grandchildren wish him God-speed on his journey.2564
Census Records
| Date | Location | Enumerated Names |
|---|---|---|
| April 9, 19302276 | Elizabeth City, Virginia |
|
| May 22, 19402563 | Bath, Greene, Ohio |
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