Charlie Miller Obituary, Annapolis Maryland, Charlie Miller Has Died

Charlie Miller Obituary, Death- On May 13, 2017, Commander Charles L. Miller of Annapolis, Maryland, passed away quietly while sleeping. Age-wise, he was 96. Nell Lockett and Robert Nicholas Miller II (USNA ’10) of Kerrville, Texas, welcomed Charles into the world on October 14, 1920.

His family relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana at a young age from Texas. He graduated in 1938 from Alcée Fortier High School, where he was class president, and the Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi. At the age of 16, Charles was elected president of the Junior Red Cross in New Orleans. He then proceeded to Washington, D.C., as the organization’s envoy, where he was chosen as president of the National Junior Red Cross. He received a scholarship for one year and attended Tulane University. After being accepted, he joined his older brother, Robert N. Miller (USNA ’40), in the academy.

Charles was a Battalion Commander at the Naval Academy and a two-letter athlete in soccer and track (he was a superb pole vaulter). At graduation on June 7, 1943, the Superintendent of the Academy wrote him a letter of commendation for “midshipmen having contributed most by their officer like qualities and positive character to the development of naval sprit and loyalty within the Regiment.” He completed Pre-flight School in Iowa City, Iowa, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1943 with the expedited Class of 1944, and then served a tour of service in the Pacific before moving on to the Naval Air Station Chase Field in Beeville, Texas.

where he obtained his aviator wings in 1946. He was given the F4U Corsair and posted to the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) after completing carrier training in Jacksonville, Florida. He met the love of his life, Betty (Elizabeth Begley), during his flight training when she visited her sister Barbara in Jacksonville, Florida. Betty is from Washington, DC. Barbara had recently wed James L. Holbrook, a classmate of Charlie’s. After meeting Betty for the first time, Charlie said to Jim, “I’m going to marry that girl,” and they actually did. Charlie and Betty have been married for 72 years after getting married on December 15, 1945, at the base chapel in Jacksonville, Florida.

He served on the USS Santa Fe (CL 63), USS Roosevelt (CVA 42) with VF -42, USS Wasp (CVA 18) with VF – 171, USS Ranger (CVA 61), which flew sorties in the Korean War, and USS Shangri La (CVA 38) throughout his twenty-year naval service. His shore assignments included: Executive Officer of Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron (FASROPN) 5, NAS Oceana, VA; Flight Training Naval Air Training Command, Pensacola, FL; Naval Air Training Flight Training Command; NAS Patuxent River- Operations Department and Ground Control Approach (GCA) Officer; Caribbean Sea Frontier/COM 10 – Flag Lieutenant; Administrative Aide and Flag Secretary to the Superintendent USNA; Naval War College, Newport, RI as a student and then Inst.

After leaving the Navy in 1965, he spent twenty years as the director of plans, programs, and integrated logistics support for the AWG-10/11/12 radar systems at Westinghouse Electric Corporation. He and Betty were able to spend more time playing golf at their home course at the U.S. Naval Academy and at numerous other courses while traveling the world after he and Betty retired from Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1986. Charlie also held the position of treasurer for the USNA Golf Club’s Maryland Interclub Seniors Golf Association (MISGA).

He also held the position of treasurer for the USNA ’44 Class for a number of years. He belonged to both the New Providence Club and the Annapolis Yacht Club. Aside from Bridge, Charlie’s other interests were maintaining to his rose garden, birding, spending a lot of time at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and, of course, seeing his three adored grandchildren grow up. Charles L. Miller Jr., his wife Kristen Kidwell Miller, of Highlands, NJ, and their two sons, Andrew Lockett Miller of Los Angeles, CA, and Nicholas Kidwell Miller of New York, NY.

as well as James Russell Miller (USNA ’75), his wife Patricia Matthews Miller, and their son James Russell Miller Jr. of Annapolis, MD. Charles is also survived by his devoted wife Elizabeth Begley Miller of Ginger Cove. At the Columbarium at the U.S. Naval Academy, there will be an Inurnment. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Ginger Cove Foundation or the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. The website of the George P. Kalas Funeral Home will have more information. A subsequent announcement will be made on the inurnment at the U.S. Naval Academy.