Robert Edward Miller

Robert completed his earthly journey four days after his 94th birthday. He was born in Vinland, Kansas to Edward and Lottie Embrey Miller. He grew up in Belton, Missouri where his love for building things, especially airplanes, began. Robert graduated in 1946 from Belton High School, an Eagle Scout and valedictorian of his class. While in the Army in Alaska, he obtained his pilot’s license. After his honorable discharge, he married Nellie Meador, who survives and has been by his side for 72 years.Robert earned BS and MS Engineering degrees from the University of Kansas and remained a fan of their basketball program. He then began a 40-year career engineering structures for supersonic planes, earning an MS in Engineering Administration from Southern Methodist University along the way. He began his career with a slide rule on his belt and happily progressed to super computers. In retirement, he enjoyed building and flying model airplanes as he had in his youth.His greatest joy was building loving relationships with three daughters, their spouses, and six grandchildren. He was an enthusiastic fan of his grandchildren’s activities, whether theater productions, sports events, piano or dance recitals. He valued his long-lasting friendships with high school friends and work associates.He had a powerful creative urge. He designed and built furniture, doll houses, tree houses, an addition to the family home, and much more. The family treasures the many memories that he captured with his photography, and his paintings hang on their walls. He was an enthusiastic gardener and bird-lover.As a member of Westcliff UMC and then Arborlawn UMC, he participated in leadership, teaching, and building and maintenance projects for the church, most recently building and maintaining the children’s computer lab.His survivors include Nellie; daughters, Suzanne Zahniser (Tom), Cynthia Walters (Bryan), and Sara Ahmuty (Rob); grandchildren, Ellen Zahniser, Evan Zahniser (Hallie), Alissa Walters Cooper (Carl), Keith Walters (Meg), David Ahmuty, and Drew Ahmuty; and great-grandchildren, Mae and Silas Cooper.