Lenoir, NC - Mr. John Dale Miller, of Lenoir, passed away on October 5, 2012. He was born in Navarre, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents John McIntosh and Iva Hawk Miller and his sister, Grace Miller Phillips.

He served in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific during World War II. He attended Ohio State University and graduated from Wilmington College in Ohio. He studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory under the tutelage of Ernest Glover. He received his master’s degree from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois.

He came to Lenoir in 1958 to serve as Associate Band Director for the Lenoir High School Band. He became director of the band in 1969 and served in that capacity until the closure of Lenoir High School in 1977. He served as band director at West Caldwell High School until his retirement. He was a member of the American School Band Director’s Association, Kappa Kappa Psi and was a lifetime member of the Music Educators National Conference. He served as the President of the North Carolina Bandmaster’s Association from 1972 – 1974, directed the mass band at the Shrine Bowl in 1974, received the Mac Award in 1976 and was inducted into the North Carolina Bandmaster’s Hall of Fame. Among his interests were the American Red Cross Blood Program of which he gave 75 pints of blood and the Senior Olympics.

He was a member of Zion Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ where he served as a deacon, an elder and choir director. He was honored by the Church by being named Choir Director Emeritus.