Glenn Miller, longtime Butler funeral director, remembered for civic leadership, service at BC3
Glenn Miller built his life around service, quietly giving decades of time and leadership to the Butler community.
“He never did anything for a self-serving reason,” Stan Kosciuszko, a longtime friend and past president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, said of Miller. “He did it because he believed in it and was a good man.”
The third-generation funeral director and longtime BC3 Board of Trustee died on Tuesday surrounded by his family. He was 66.
Born Oct. 7, 1959, in Pittsburgh, Miller was the son of the late Richard J. Miller and the late Gloria (Thompson) Miller.
He was a 1979 graduate of Moniteau High School and continued his education at Butler County Community College, where he earned an associate degree. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University and a diploma from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, according to his obituary.
Miller dedicated most of his professional life to Thompson-Miller Funeral Home Inc., where he carried on his family legacy.
Those who regularly interacted with him said he was deeply committed to serving families during some of their most difficult moments.
Though his work made him intimately familiar with death, Kosciuszko said his friend had an appreciation for life and shared that perspective with everyone around him.
“He was around death a lot, but he also looked at the importance of life before death,” Kosciuszko said. “To him, of course death was tragic, but it was also a time to appreciate the person you lost.”
Aside from his professional accomplishments, Miller was known for his extensive civic involvement throughout the county, which included being a longtime member of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.
He also served on the Butler County Community College Board of Trustees since 1997.
“I think he always — because of his experience at the college — held it close in his heart,” said BC3 president Megan Coval. “He really made it a part of his service to give back to the college. He was just incredibly generous to BC3 with his time, service and his support of the college all-around.”
Having known Miller since childhood, Coval said he understood BC3’s importance to the community and the opportunities the college provides.
“He always understood and had a deep appreciation for the role that the college plays in opening the doors of education for the members of our community,” she said. “I think it was an impactful experience for him and one that he always highly valued. He just wanted so many other people to have that experience and I think that belief in the college and the role that it plays in the community drove a lot of his work.”
Miller also devoted 40 years to the Butler Township Fire Department, where he held every position except chief. During that time, he met one of his lifelong friends in 1981 in Nick Ban, who considered him a counselor and confidant.
“He was a good mentor and taught me quite a bit,” Ban said. “He was always a very patient guy and very thoughtful of others. Our friendship just grew from there. He became a pretty good sounding board and was always there to lend an ear.”
Cultivating lasting friendships over the years became a common occurrence for Miller.
Brian McCafferty said he met Miller in middle school and later found they shared much in common, from purchasing their family businesses to serving together on the Butler County Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and BC3’s board of trustees.
“I feel honored to have experienced so much of my life with him,” he said of Miller. “If you want to see a true servant’s heart and what it looks like — I’ve seen that through Glenn Miller.”
His community involvement also extended to other organizations, including several Masonic groups and the Butler Area Street Machine Association.
Miller is survived by his wife of 27 years, Leslie (Anderson) Miller, whom he married on Sept. 11, 1998; his sister-in-law, Jackie Vaughn and her husband, Jay; his brother-in-law, Tim Anderson and his wife, Gemma; several nieces and nephews; and two sisters.
“My son-in-law, Adam, got to know Glenn through the years,” McCafferty said. “He told me something that summed it up for me: ‘This world could sure use a lot more Glenn Millers.’”
