Leon H. "Gus" Miller, Jr.

Leon Herman “Gus” Miller, Jr., of Laytonsville, Maryland, passed away on April 2, 2018.

Leon was born in Greencastle, Indiana on January 22, 1932, son of Leon Sr. and Edith Miller.  He is predeceased by his sisters Eleanor “Nory” Clemmons and Margaret “Peggy” Sibley, and survived by his sisters Mary McHaffie and Betty Sadowsky.  Leon is also survived by his wife Jackie of 65 years, who he met in 1951 while she was attending Indiana University; their children Kim Trollinger and her husband Ed, Lori Engelberg and her husband Eric, and Mark and his wife Naomi; grandchildren Matthew Trollinger and his wife Danielle, Kristin Townsend and her husband Justin, Andrea Engelberg, Danielle Miller and David Miller; and great-grandchildren Decker, Peter and Anna Lynn.  Leon was a member of the Church of the Redeemer in Gaithersburg, Maryland for almost 30 years, and was active in both marriage and prison ministries.

Leon rose from humble beginnings, developing many skills and talents.  From early childhood he worked in his father’s garage as a mechanic, and was adept at any construction or machinist task.  He graduated from Purdue University (a member of Theta Chi Fraternity), with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Economics.  He served as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force during the Korean War and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.  He moved to Washington D.C. in 1957 with Jackie to work for Johns Hopkins University in Operations Research, and later worked at the Pentagon.  He also worked for The World Bank as a Senior Economist for over 20 years, managing the redevelopment of the infrastructure of countries around the world including China and Mongolia.

But most of all Leon loved to spend time with his family, whether it was helping them work on their cars, choosing investments, attending the kids’ sporting events, or just dinners or holiday gatherings.  He could build or fix anything, and loved spending time outdoors working in his gardens.  Leon and Jackie also had a residence in Moultonborough, New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee for over 40 years, and were New Hampshire residents for several years.  He could often be found building and rebuilding patios, walkways, and other landscaping features on his New Hampshire property, and loved moving rocks larger than anyone could imagine with ropes and pulleys.  There are simply not enough words to capture the things he knew how to do, how much he loved his family, and the sacrifices he made to ensure that his children and grandchildren had the opportunities they needed to build good character and further their education.  His family will always cherish and remember the good times we had together and his love for us all.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., at the Church of the Redeemer, Gaithersburg Campus, 19425 Woodfield Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879, with a light lunch in the church immediately after.  He will be laid to rest in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Monrovia, Maryland, on April 6, 2018, during a private family service.

Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.molesworthwilliams.com.

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