Dr. Edmund Miller

Dr. Edmund Anderson Miller, Jr. was born on Friday, November 13th, 1953 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Edmund Anderson Miller Sr. and Hannah McIlrath Miller. Dad never graduated from college because he couldn't wait to be a doctor and he excelled in the study of medicine which he always felt was his life’s calling. He graduated from University of Mississippi Medical School in 1979, and then completed a residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN in 1982 before starting his practice of internal medicine in West Point, Ms which he always felt was home. He believed that the hospital belonged to him as he was the “ICU doctor” when North Mississippi Medical Center - West Point opened its doors in 1985. Often times when asked if a patient was his during a hospital admission he would respond with, “They’re ALL my patients”. He practiced medicine in West Point for nearly 40 years and there are not many lives in West Point that were not touched by the care he provided over that time. When he wasn’t practicing medicine he loved to take on new hobbies. He loved coaching city league baseball, riding his bike to work, and even riding his motorcycle with his white coat flailing in the wind like the cape of superhero. In the 90’s he could be found at Old Waverly getting ready for the PGA tour. He would often recall his best round of 68 strokes. He also liked to recall the time that he and I came in second place in the member-guest golf tournament by saying, “We would’ve won too if Ned could putt”. He became a cattle farmer and bulldozer operator at one point. His father-in-law called him the “Yellow Tornado” because after Ed came through a parcel of land on his yellow bulldozer, it looked like it had been hit by a tornado. He delivered sermons to anyone in his path on an almost daily basis but, on at least 3 occasions, he stood at the pulpit and delivered formal sermons for a few churches in the area. He knew the Bible better than anyone I’ve ever met. We have joked that he probably had a few suggestions for the Almighty Himself upon his arrival at the pearly gates. Hopefully grandad can reign him in as he was the only person who could do so while they were here on earth. His fondest pastime was flying. He loved his Beechcraft Baron and felt most free while in flight. Despite a great love for medicine and his various hobbies, his greatest love was his family. His grandchildren called him Buster for his benevolent irreverence which is exactly what endeared him to us and everyone he met. He lived his life with blessed unrest. He was never satisfied as no artist is. For him, there was only divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that made him more alive than any of us. In 2000, he married the love of his life Brett Miller who has survived him. He is also survived by 5 children, Lila June Miller, Heather Miller Usry, Dr Edmund McLean “Ned” Miller (Candice), Archie Anderson Miller, and Guy Robert Miller. In addition to his immediate family he is also survived by his sister Anita Child (Mike). His grandchildren are Miller Lee Usry, Lila Frances Usry, and Hannah McLean Miller. He is preceded in death by his parents Edmund Anderson Miller Sr., Hannah McIlrath Miller, and his son Max McIlrath Miller. We are comforted to know that they welcomed him when he arrived. Pallbearers are Dr. Ned Miller, Archie Miller, Guy Miller, Phillip Portera, Steven Moore, Barry Keel, Eddie Scott, and Dalton Wilemon. Honorary Pallbearers are Peggy “Poppins” Walls, his office staff whom he loved dearly, all of his colleagues and staff at NMMC-WP, nursing and staff at Dugan Memorial Nursing Home, and all of his patients (As he believed, if you call West Point home, this means you). He would come back to haunt us were his funeral to become a Covid super-spreader event. Therefore his funeral services will be limited to family. Memorials can be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital where his little Lila “Princess” received life-saving treatment.