ARTHUR O. MILLER,
94, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on June 6, 2020. Arthur was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on March 12, 1926, to James Arthur and Saleta Caroline Miller. He was a loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Arthur was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Eloise Powers Miller; his parents; brothers: Asa Miller and Johnny Miller; his sisters: Alice Denton, Gloria Counts, Jean Kanakis and Jane Barnes and his grandson by marriage, Brian Bennett.
He is survived by his son, James A. Miller and his wife, Sue Ellen of Brenham, Texas, and his daughter, Janet Osborne and her husband, James, of Little Rock. Arthur is also survived by six grandchildren: Collin Miller (Julie) of Sugar Land, Texas; Ross Miller (Jessica) of Brenham, Texas; Rachel Bennett, Joshua Osborne (Mandy), Caleb Osborne (Stephanie) and Micah Osborne (Kelsey), all of Little Rock. He is survived by fifteen great-grandchildren: Zachary, Grant, Riley, Caitlin and Courtney Miller of Texas and Mary Eloise (Ellie), Mollie and Annie Bennett, Noah, Sam, Silas Arthur, Abigail, Jack, Judah Miller and Brian Arthur (Bear) Osborne, all of Little Rock. Arthur is also survived by his brother, Fred Miller (Linda) of Iowa and sisters-in-law, Betty Powers Yeary of Little Rock, Ann Miller of Little Rock and Claire Miller of West Memphis as well as many nieces and nephews.
At the age of 15, Arthur left home to find work in the shipyards of Mobile, Alabama, after being turned down when he tried to enlist in the military after Pearl Harbor. After working for almost a year, Arthur returned home and convinced his father to sign the paperwork so he could enlist in the US Navy where he served as a sonar man during World War II, fighting in the North Atlantic and Pacific. While he was away, he continually wrote letters to Eloise, the love of his life. When he returned home after the war, the two were married, and he began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. His career took a detour when he served in the US Air Force during the Korean War. After the war, he returned to work at Southwestern Bell where he studied and became a Professional Engineer. He had a successful career with the Bell System working in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and AT&T headquarters in New York. Arthur also holds several patents on inventions he developed. After retiring from Southwestern Bell, he became a consultant, working for companies in the US and in England. Longing to spend more time with his grandchildren, Arthur retired once again.
One of the greatest joys of his life was leading his “work crew” made up of his grandsons. Arthur taught them many skills ranging from putting in drains to home repair to building furniture. He always had time for a project and was happy to make Brian Bennett one of his crew when he joined the family. Whenever Arthur was working with his work crew, he taught the boys how to be godly men, good husbands and good dads. It was of greatest importance to him for his children and grandchildren to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He also delighted in getting to see the “little guys” and watching them play. He was always his great-grandchildren’s biggest fan and loved hearing about their ballgames and schoolwork.
The family would like to thank Dr. David Jones and Dr. Taylor Moore for the care they gave Arthur especially the last few years. They would also like to thank the staff of Brookdale Chenal Heights, Avenir Memory Care and Hospice Home Care for the excellent care they provided to Arthur in his last days.
A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Alexander. Please observe Covid-19 guidelines in place. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Little Rock or to The Baptist Preparatory School, both located at 62 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72212. Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501) 224-2200. Arthur’s online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.