Carter S. Miller

Carter Shaw Miller
12/08/1940-06/12/2020

Carter was born in Miami Florida and attended school at Sewanee Military
Academy and Miami High School. He enrolled at Florida State University and
graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Mathematics.
Receiving a commission in the US Air Force, he went on to further his education at the Air Force Institute of Technology where he earned a Masters of Science in Operations Research. He also attended Stanford University for specialized courses.

Major Miller was assigned to a combat unit flying out of Ubon, Thailand. He was shot down by a SAM in North Vietnam in 1972, while conducting one of his last bombing missions. His major injuries required numerous surgeries before he was admitted for a lengthy stay at the Eglin AFB hospital, while he recovered from his wounds. Carter was then assigned to various units around the country including Special Projects for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. At one point in his Air Force career, he worked with Kelly Johnson and Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” on their secret reconnaissance plane.

He served his country with pride and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal, three Meritorious Service Awards, and a Purple Heart for his years dedicated to the service of his country.

After leaving the Air Force, Carter was employed by Hughes Aircraft Company as the Managing Director of Southeast Asia for Hughes Aircraft Systems International and as Vice President of Hughes Communications International and was responsible for commercial satellite communication systems for Indonesia and Australia. He lived in Jakarta, Indonesia where he and his wife Jackie raised his two of his children in country. Carter continued to commute to Asia for several years for Hughes to oversee the systems that he sold to both countries.

Upon return to the USA, Carter and his lifelong partner bought a chain of several florist shops and turned them into a significant corporation with 100 franchised retail stores, later selling the entire corporation to a national retail company. He was the recipient of the U.S. Small Business Entrepreneurial Success of the Year in 1994.

After retiring briefly, Carter went on to become a marketing consultant to
technology based companies which, once again, had him returning to Southeast Asia.

After retiring from the consultancy he spent several years in the development of a luxury businessman’s hotel and shopping centers, from his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

He continued to golf, cook, hunt and fly fish with a passion while still having business dealings with his partner.

Upon his second retirement, Jackie and Carter traveled back and forth between their homes in Palm Desert, California and Blaine, Washington following the sun and living a relaxed life.

Carter is survived by his wife Jacqueline and his four children, Carter Miller, Jr., Melanie Miller, Sallie (Miller) Manford and Chris Miller (Grandchildren: Jennifer, Mitchell, Stephanie, Christina, Amy, Chloe, Zachary and Lukas) Carter was cremated and interred in the family plot in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Sometime in the future a memorial service will be held after the current medical restrictions, limiting attendance, are lifted.