Today, most importantly, the Millers loss a husband, father, uncle, cousin, grandfather, confidant. listeners: [], This may have seemed like a small sacrifice to the outside world, but anybody who knew Mike knew the decision did not come easy. Maryland voters went on to approve the constitutional amendment allowing casinos in 2008, as well as an expansion four years later to add table games and what would become MGM National Harbor near the nations capital. Mike passed away in 2021, and is survived by his wife, five children, and 15 grandchildren. Millers, a general store that Mr. Millers father eventually took over. Mr. Miller befriended Smalls press consultant, Lawrence J. Hogan Sr., who would become a U.S. congressman and Prince Georges County executive. Its worse than inner-city Washington, D.C. Serafini said Miller was also an expert historian on state history and they often exchanged books on subjects. During a virtual briefing with reporters, he said he hoped he would be remembered for hard work, love the [Chesapeake] Bay, love of education.. Miller was the longest-serving presiding officer of a state legislature in U.S. history before relinquishing duties to Ferguson, of Baltimore, in 2019 after he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. Serafini said Miller was always very helpful to him in his work in the Senate. Miller, whose beloved state Senate bears his name on its Annapolis office building, presided over the chamber for 33 years before passing the gavel to current Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) in October 2019. The administration building at the university was named after him last year. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Please, check your inbox! The nation's longest-serving If he needed you, he brought you back, said former state senator Gloria G. Lawlah (D-Prince Georges), who mended fences with Mr. Miller after a falling-out. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Hazel (Damewood) Miller of Luttrell and his sisters, Kathy Parker . Raised in La Habra, California, by Judge Jack Miller and Ann (Miller) Smith, Mike was a natural athlete, starting in baseball, soccer, and NJB as a young child and going on to be a star player for . . Miller also was prone to speaking his mind, whether with reporters who gathered to talk to him regularly after the Senate took a break for the day or publicly at an event. In 1989, he told a Washington television reporter that Baltimore, Marylands largest city, was a ghetto and a war zone. Some suggested the comments ended his prospects of ever becoming governor. budget-writing and lawmaking, dies at 90, Forum highlights discrimination and appraisal bias in housing, Revived push for Equal Rights Amendment blocked by U.S. Senate Republicans. Miller went on to graduate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1967 with an LL.B. Mr. Miller often attributed his political endurance to his ability to see whats going to happen before it happens. Despite his own reservations, he facilitated the abolition of the death penalty in Maryland in 2013 after polls showed the public supported the ban. Learn more about how we serve you. Retired Maryland State Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. - who had been the country's longest-serving state senate president - died Jan. 15 at the age of 78 at his home in Chesapeake Beach from complications from prostate cancer. Working for Mike was like working in the Mafia you go out feet first, said Gerard Evans, a lobbyist and longtime friend. ", Gov. Sign up to receive our free Daily Digest newsletter, in your inbox each morning. He was 78 years old. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts, - Associated Press - Friday, January 15, 2021. "It is impossible to think of the Maryland Senate and not think of Mike not just because of his historical longevity - but because each member of the Senate has his or her own Mike story. At 44, Mr. Miller assumed the Senates throne, fueling chatter that he was on a glide path to becoming governor. His core was delivering as a retail politician.. Bill Clinton, who spoke at the Maryland State House twice during his presidency, met Miller at a legislative conference in the 1980s and later joked that when he realized how big Millers family was, he realized it would be politically beneficial to befriend him ahead of his 1992 White House bid. 1 of 50. He once declared at a 2006 luncheon with fellow Democrats that they would put Republicans in the ground in the upcoming election. Along the way, he married his wife Patti in 1965. At Mr. Millers urging, Evans suggested legislative ideas, including a bill allowing victims of domestic abuse to seek compensation. After chairing the Judiciary Proceedings Committee from 1983 to 1986, Mike became Senate President in 1987, a role he would maintain until the fall of 2019. event : evt, Whether it's the Senator who he quietly consoled through family matters, the Senator who he mentored to compromise and pass legislation, or those who experienced the personal care of Mike to truly listen to their concerns. He won his first election to the House of Delegates in 1970 and moved to the Senate four years later. There are thousands of former Senators, Delegates, staffers, and constituents in the 27th District that he has impacted for the better, and who each have their own Mike Miller story. Sign up to receive our free Daily Digest newsletter, in your inbox each morning. As it turned out, he served another three decades as Senate president, his influence uninterrupted at the State House while moving trucks pulled up to the governors mansion across the way every four or eight years. Even after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in July 2018 and a round of chemotherapy later that year, Miller continued to come to Annapolis and stand among the rostrum in the Senate chamber before going public with his condition in January 2019. [2], Miller was born in Clinton, Maryland on December 3, 1942, the first of ten siblings,[3] and attended Surrattsville High School. He was Senate president over the span of five governors, from Democrat William Donald Schaefer to Hogan. Most recent obituaries in Toledo, Ohio. When News Matters, It Matters Where You Get Your News. Sign up to get the Maryland Matters Memo in your inbox every morning. He stepped down from the leadership position in 2019 as he battled Stage 4 prostate cancer and resigned from his Senate seat in December. Lois Thomas Ryder April 21, 2023 (90 years old) View obituary. Obituary. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., the nations longest-serving president of a state Senate and a pillar of Maryland government for nearly a half-century, died Jan. 15 at his home in Chesapeake Beach, Md. State flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day Miller is laid to rest, Hogan said. Council - 5th Ward. He concluded this extraordinary period of service as Senate President Emeritus. In 1970, with the backing of the Prince Georges Democratic machine, Mr. Miller won his first political race, capturing a House of Delegates seat. Mike became an Annapolis icon. News you can trust. He was a member of New Fellowship Full Gospel Church and a loving husband, father and friend. Four years later, he was elected to the state Senate where he served until Dec. 23, 2020. The Miller family released the following statement shortly after 5 p.m.: He is survived by his wife, children, eight siblings and 15 grandchildren. 'I Have Been Blessed' | Amid Cancer Battle, Senate President Mike Miller Reflects On Time In Maryland State House, Former Maryland Senate President Mike Miller Retires, Cites Health, Maryland's Longtime Senate President Mike Miller To Step Down, Md. I was fortunate to have received his counsel and advice when I became Speaker. Miller was the oldest of 10 children, and began working at his familys grocery and liquor store in Clinton when he was 10 years old. Local news, weather, sports, events, restaurants and more, Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., pillar of Marylands state capital for decades, dies at 78, Commanders draft class fills several needs, features plenty of value, From World Series hero to MLBs worst, Patrick Corbin keeps taking the ball, Commanders draft Illinois DB Quan Martin, Arkansas C Ricky Stromberg. Honestly and truly., Asked who, if anyone, intimidated him over the years in Annapolis, Mr. Miller, without hesitation, said, I was never afraid of anyone.. Miller, who grew up in Prince Georges County, graduated from Surrattsville High School in Clinton and received his bachelors and law degrees from the University of Maryland. He has got an Irish temper and an Irish humor, but you never know which one hell be in at that minute.. Everything Southern Maryland, delivered daily to your inbox. Hagerstown attorney and former state legislator D. Bruce Poole said Friday he will always remember Miller as a kind man and one whose work for the state will benefit it for many years to come. It passed by 100,000 votes. In 1965, he married Patricia Given, a college classmate. FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 file photo, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller speaks with members of the news media after listening to Gov. [citation needed], The Senate office building in Annapolis was named after him due to his being the longest-serving Senate president in the history of the state legislature. Thank you for registering!Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. Thomas was affectionately known by his family and friends as Tom or Tommy. Thomas Miller Mortuary Monday, May 1, 2023, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. Nonpartisan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We proudly serve the African-American community families, neighborhoods, businesses, people of faith and more in the DMV. Buschs successor, Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) paid tribute to Miller Friday evening. Patricia H. Billings (D-Montgomery) opposed legislation he supported, Mr. Miller sent her a Christmas card. All rights reserved. He was as kind and generous as he was powerful: a combination that leads to a once-in-a-generation leader and statesman who we can all emulate. His family said in a statement that Miller died peacefully at home at 4:25 p.m., surrounded by loved ones. Am I on the wrong side of history? He was as kind and generous as he was powerful: a combination that leads to a once-in-a-generation leader and statesman who we can all emulate, Jones said in a statement. An account was already registered with this email. [2][9] Miller died at home in Chesapeake Beach from the effects of the disease on January 15, 2021. Republicans also treasured Millers friendship and guidance, even as they sparred with him politically. Maryland has lost one of its most revered leaders, and I have lost a dear lifelong friend, said Hogan, who first met Miller in the 1960s. In a show of political gamesmanship, Mr. Miller forced two special sessions of the Assembly, after which the fate of what became the MGM Casino at National Harbor was left to voters to decide in a 2012 referendum. Gov. He wanted to be with his colleagues serving the people of the 27th District, but the physical burden was too much to bear. A shrewd tactician, Mr. Miller controlled the Senate under six governors and endured as opponents derided him as an autocrat, as demographics in his home base of Prince Georges County shifted, and as Marylands political culture drifted left. Miller maintained a long-held passion for higher education in Maryland, particularly the University of Maryland, College Park, his alma mater. He didnt live in a world where he would substitute his core beliefs for what he saw as the larger consensus, said Todd Eberly, a St. Marys College of Maryland political scientist. A student of history and deeply sentimental, Millers home library was filled with more than 5,000 volumes, sorted by subject and historical era. William Donald Schaefer (D) of hiring eunuchs and sycophants and comparing Parris N. Glendening (D), then Prince Georges County executive, to a baboon. In the heat of one election season, he promised Democrats would bury Republicans six feet deep, faces up., William Donald Schaefer dies at 89; Maryland governor, comptroller, Baltimore mayor. Some of the ugly theyre still alive.. This may have seemed like a small sacrifice to the outside world, but anybody who knew Mike knew the decision did not come easy. MICHAEL MILLER OBITUARY. Miller's family said he died at home at 4:25 p.m. with his loved ones at his side. A funeral mass was held for Senate President Emeritus Thomas V "Mike" Miller Jr. Saturday morning at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church in Clinton, in which he was remembered for his love . He won his first election to the House of Delegates in 1970 and moved to the Senate four years later. He was known as a tireless advocate for higher education institutions in Maryland and the building's official moniker was the "Thomas V. Miller Administration Building. A few hours before the fundraiser, Mr. Miller agreed to an interview with a local television reporter, who asked why he was hosting the affair far from his legislative district. degree. Our hearts ache for Patti and his family at this immensely difficult time. Through the Miller Center and the lives he touched, his . He will be sorely missed.. . He studied at the University of Maryland, College Park where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa, and graduated with a B.S. Jerad L Geiger April 25, 2023 (67 years old) View obituary. There are thousands of former Senators, Delegates, staffers, and constituents in the 27th District that he has impacted for the better, and who each have their own Mike Miller story. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Once, while discussing a tough special session in 2007, he pulled back his suit jacket and showed reporters where red ink from a pen had leaked, as if he were bleeding. We share their grief and immense sense of loss. As a historian, theres no doubt about it, but Ill deal with that in my own mind, he said when the Senate gave the bill final passage. Anita Davis*. March 26, 1945 - April 19, 2023 . Gov. Sign up for The Daily Newsletter, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Miller was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1967. Miller was a major force in Maryland politics and the state's longest-serving Senate president. MD 20735. ET. He was also known for his sense of humor, was on display the day after the 2019 death of House Speaker Michael Busch, when he told a story from 1987 of Busch, then a first-year delegate, having a bit of a mishap during an inaugural parade around the State House for Gov. As he prepares to leave office, Marylands governor reflects on his tenure during a one-on-one interview in Annapolis. Hes survived by his wife, Patti, son Tommy, daughters, Amanda, Michelle, Melissa, and Melanie, sisters Susan, Cynthia, Melinda, Nancy, and Kim, brothers, Jonathan, David, and Mark, and his fifteen grandchildren, and was predeceased by his sister Judith.. Thomas V. Mike Miller, a major force in Maryland politics for decades and the nations longest-serving state Senate president, has died, his family said. He once declared at a 2006 luncheon with fellow Democrats that they would put Republicans in the ground in the upcoming election. It was Mike Millers baby. He participated in the parade. Mr. Miller survived various threats to his power, including a failed attempt to oust him in 2000 led by state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell (D-Baltimore). I [lost] a teammate and mentor who trusted me to succeed him, he tweeted. Get a code sent to your email to sign in, or sign in using a password. (AP) Thomas V. Mike Miller, a major force in Maryland politics for decades and the nations longest-serving state Senate president, has died, his family said. Thanks for submitting! As the oldest of 10 children, Mr. Miller navigated family squabbles often instigated by his volatile father and developed skills that helped him later maneuver in Annapolis. My aunts and uncles for Christmas and birthdays would give me books and I would read and study. That happened with a strong push from the Senate president, who noted in later years that the states six casinos would be part of his legacy. Im going to do what I do as long as my health says I can do it.. In a statement, current Senate President Bill Ferguson called Miller a "champion of the Senate": "It is impossible to think of the Maryland Senate and not think of Mike - not just because of his historical longevity - but because each member of the Senate has his or her own Mike story.