Lloyd Elvis Miller passed away on January 20, 2018, at his home in
Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 91.
His memorial service will be held on
February 10
th
at 1:00 p.m. at Boise City Hope Church at 8650 W
Fairview Ave, Boise, ID.
A
native of Nowata, Oklahoma, Lloyd was the tenth of eleven children in a farming
and coal mining family. He is the sole survivor of his eleven siblings. He
often said that he enjoyed an idyllic childhood, hunting, swimming and running
free in the Oklahoma woods. At the death of his father, when he was twelve, the
family moved to Hansen, Idaho where the family engaged in seasonal farm work. A
s a youngster, Lloyd gained a reputation as a strong, fun loving
person. Later, as a young man, he could hoist a 100 lb. bag of spuds over his
shoulder with little effort. Hard work, fast cars and family was what mattered
to Lloyd Miller!
At the outbreak of WWII, the older members of Lloyd’s
family headed west and found jobs working in the shipyards at Oakland,
California. Later, when Lloyd was sixteen, he drove his mother and younger
brother, Leonard, to join the rest of the
family
. On the way, the transmission of the car went out
so Lloyd hitchhiked to the nearest town and brought back a new transmission and
installed it in the disabled car. While in California Lloyd learned to be
a welder in the shipyards.
Shortly after turning eighteen, Lloyd was drafted into
the Army. Upon completion of boot camp at Camp Roberts, he was shipped off
to war in the Pacific theater. He served in both the Philippines and in Japan.
Upon
discharge from the US Army, Lloyd re-joined his family in Idaho. It was then
that he met his future wife and love of his life, Patricia (Pat) Geerhart. At
the time, Pat was a waitress at her folks family-owned Hansen café. At her
invitation, Lloyd attended church with her. Pat saw a diamond in the rough in
this big gregarious, vibrant man. They married on November 9, 1951. In 1957,
along with their two little girls, Yvonne and Colleen, they moved to Boise,
where he was hired on at Swift & Company.
During these years Lloyd achieved his private pilot
license certification, often taking his two girls flying in his small
two-seater , and later, his four-seater aircraft.
In 1967, the Boise plant closed and he transferred to
Phoenix, Arizona. When the Arizona plant closed in 1977, he had twenty years in
the company so took an early retirement. He and Pat relocated back to Boise.
During this time he worked in construction, framing numerous houses in the
Boise area. Later, he became a certified meat inspector and finally worked as a
night watchmen until retirement. After retirement, Lloyd found a second career
as a volunteer at the Central Assembly Love Center. Here Lloyd was a welcomed
member of the Love Center’s gleaning ministry. For twenty years his joyful
presence brightened the morning of countless early shift workers in grocery
stores across the Treasure Valley.
In 2011, Lloyd and Pat bought a small home in Phoenix near
their daughter, Yvonne, to allow them more time together and shield them
from the icy Idaho winters. During these years they enjoyed the wonderful
winters in Phoenix and beautiful springs and summers in Idaho.
Lloyd was a family man to the core of his being and
deeply loved his daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great
grandchild. He was very proud of every one of them until the day of his
passing. Colleen and her husband, Joe spent their life in humanitarian work in
Asia and Africa. Yvonne spent her life working with men and women who have made
a wrong turn in life.
Along with his family, Lloyd’s other love of his life was
his Lord and the Church. Lloyd was a member of Central Assembly of
God church in Boise, which he attended faithfully for many years.
Lloyd leaves behind his wife, Patricia, his 2 daughters,
Yvonne and Colleen, 7
grandchildren, 6
great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.