A devoted husband, father, son, and friend, Joseph Robert Miller went home to be with the Lord on January 11, 2020, after his year-long battle with cancer at the age of 53.

Joseph is preceded by his father, Leonard and his brother, James. He is survived by his mother, Barbara Jo; his wife, Karina; his children, Nuriel, Grace, and Anna; and his sister, Cindy Jo.

Joseph was born on April 9, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois to Leonard and Barbara (Burton) Miller. He received his Bachelor's in Business Administration from Northwood University and his Master's in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He held a contractor's license in Florida. On April 3, 1998, he married Karina Maria Quiroz-Montenegro. They raised one son, Nuriel Benjamin, and two daughters, Grace-Grace Abigail and Anna Elisabeth.

Joseph grew up in Willow Springs, Illinois playing little league and running around his neighborhood playing with his friends. As he grew, he began working for his father's local paper drill company. His excellent piano skills allowed him to work as a jazz musician for different jazz bands during his teens and early twenties.

At the age of 22, Joseph received Jesus as his Lord and Savior which ignited his passion for evangelism and mission work. In the 1980s, he joined the Christian missionary group Youth With A Mission (YWAM) which allowed him to travel around the world proclaiming the Good News. His involvement with YWAM would eventually bring him to Pensacola.

Joseph's passion for missions led him to travel to places such as Belarus, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, and Mozambique. For many of these trips, he was leading teams of young people from Jubilee Church.

In the summer of 1997, Joe met his wife Karina at a prayer meeting at Jubilee Church. Their beautiful, God-led relationship has and will continue to inspire young couples about the importance of letting God be the center of their relationships and what it takes to build a Godly, healthy marriage. In the early 2000s, Joseph moved his family to Pensacola where they have remained since.

Joseph preferred to be a behind-the-scenes guy. He believed that he could change more lives by teaching in the back hallways than from a pulpit and he did this faithfully through his teaching in bible college classes, middle school Sunday school, and high school Sunday school.

He led his students by example and never taught something that he did not apply in his own life. He was a man of his word and always put actions to the words he spoke.

The homeless, the unborn, and the abused had a special place in Joe's heart and he generously supported and prayed for them. Joseph was also a savvy businessman and although he would never want to be remembered as one, he worked all his life led by wisdom with integrity, passion and with pride in a job well done. "Work as unto the Lord" was his motto and he did until cancer didn't allow him anymore. Despite the effects of cancer, Joseph was never too busy or tired to show love to God or his family. He didn't need to be at church to get lost in a moment with God and many of his great encounters with Him happened in his backyard, as he walked and prayed around his swimming pool.

Joseph's surrendered life to Jesus is a legacy that will continue through the many lives he touched. His teachings, wisdom, generosity, and love are seeds deposited in the lives of all who knew him and walked alongside him. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

A visitation will be held 12noon until the funeral service to begin at 1:00pm Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Jubilee Church, 5910 N. "W" St., Pensacola, FL with Pastor Lenn Ballenger officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Joseph's favorite charity, the Waterfront Rescue Mission through their website waterfrontmission.org.