Jerry Lee Miller, 78, of Pensacola, an admired husband, father, "Pop Pop," son, brother, friend, and veteran, passed away peacefully after a battle with cancer on November 28, 2019, surrounded by his family.

He is preceded in death by his father, Jerry Frank Miller; mother, Erma Lee Bohannon; stepmother, Agnes Miller; his sister, Barbara Ann Womble and son-in-law, Timothy Scott Howard.

He is survived by Gladys Miller, his wife of 55 years; children, Amber Howard, Jeryl House, Micah Miller, Christian Miller, Tyler Miller, Noah Miller; niece, Amanda Cook and nephews, Christopher Womble and Shawn Womble. He will also leave behind 16 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren and countless friends, coworkers and fellow servicemen and women from the United States Navy.

Jerry was born the son of a railroad worker in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1941. He attended White Hall High School in Pine Bluff, where he played football. In 1959, at the age of 17, he got the call to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Navy. After basic training in Arkansas and a few short-term assignments across the country, he was deployed and was able to travel the world aboard two Naval ships, the USS Yorktown and the USS Bon Homme Richard. Jerry was later called to serve our country in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. While in Vietnam, he served in Aviation Administration where he used his technical skills to assist in aviation command. The pilots and crew of aircrafts relied on Jerry and his meticulous attention to detail to brings the pilots, crew members, and their aircraft back safely after missions. He also worked in aircraft maintenance, inspections, and quality control.

After his tour in Vietnam and an assignment in Bermuda for a year, Jerry was transferred to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. It is there where he met his future wife Gladys, who was also in the Navy and was recently assigned to Pensacola, at a cookout for their unit on base. He retired from the United States Navy as Petty Officer First class after two decades of service and remained in Pensacola.

Upon retirement from the US Navy, Jerry demonstrated his tireless work ethic working multiple jobs while attending Law Enforcement Academy to join the Escambia County Sheriff's Department. He worked for the Escambia County Sheriff's Department for 18 years, retiring as a Lieutenant in 1998. His hardworking spirit didn't allow him to stay retired very long, as later that year he joined the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and the State of Florida Department of Corrections. He worked as a correctional officer for six more years, before retiring for the final time in 2004.

For the last fifteen years, Jerry has been enjoying his retirement by doing some of the things that he loved most. Jerry really liked to read, enjoyed watching Westerns, and had a passion for guns and gunsmithing. He also liked to collect older military weapons and collectibles. On some Saturday mornings, you could find him at flea markets across town searching for items to add to his collection, or for a small thoughtful gift for one of his grandkids. He loved to travel, especially to visit the mountains, and loved visiting his kids and grandkids scattered around the southeast. For the last several years, he was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, participating in camping trips, pack meetings and serving the community.

He had the greatest sense of responsibility for his job, but most of all for his family. He had a great work ethic, was very detail-oriented, and always made sure he provided for his family. Even as his children grew into adults, he was always there to offer support. All the way up until his final days, he was making sure all his affairs were in order and offering up whatever he could for assistance; he was still providing for his family. Jerry made his entire family proud by how hard he worked.

Jerry requested to be cremated. As a military and Vietnam War Veteran, his ashes will be interred at Barrancas National Cemetery, where a headstone will be placed to commemorate his life. A funeral cortege will leave Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel at 1:00 pm on Friday, December 13, 2019 for a graveside military service for family and friends held at 1:30 pm at Barrancas National Cemetery and will be officiated by Rev. Gordon Godfrey of Marcus Point Baptist Church.

Honorary Pallbearers will be his sons, Micah Miller and Noah Miller; son-in-law, Donnie House and grandsons Brandon Howard, Brien Howard and Gideon Wise.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Cancer Society.

The family gives a special thanks to Dr. Bouchard, his kidney doctor, and the 4 ^th floor staff at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. They were wonderful to him and the family for the few weeks he was in their care. The staff had a tough task caring for him, but always treated him with dignity and respect, and had positive attitudes during a very difficult time.

He was a complex man for a stranger to get to know, but was a strong provider for those he loved and cared for most. Jerry leaves this world after a lifetime of providing for his entire family, but the greatest gift and legacy he leaves was giving his heart to the Lord. Jerry was saved by the grace of our Lord and Savior and was at peace in his final days. He spent his final days with his family, enjoying conversations and stories of his life, and letting each person know that he loved them, but he was ready to go home. Jerry Miller was a one-of-a-kind man and left a lasting impression on everyone who knew and loved him. The lessons learned from him have been passed down from his children, to his grandchildren, and will continue to be passed on to new generations. The world we know will not be the same without him in it, but we know there will be a great reunion with him one day. The impression he left on us will be with us for the rest of our lives, and he will be loved and missed forever.