It came only from love for the Senate, the State of Maryland, and its people. Michael V. Miller. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas A Miller (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), who passed away on June 1, 2022, at the age of 74, leaving to mourn family and friends. A Democrat, he was first elected Maryland Senate president in 1987. Mr. Millers early years in the state legislature and his reign as a boss of the Prince Georges Democratic organization coincided with the countys transition from majority White to majority Black. No charges were filed. He was also fiercely loyal. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. A backslapping raconteur, Mr. Miller was a singular presence as he ruled the Senate. Mike Miller was the cornerstone for all the progress that has occurred in the state over the past three decades, said Timothy F. Maloney, a prominent trial lawyer and former Democratic state delegate representing Prince Georges. Maryland State Senator and Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr., passed away in January 2021 at the age of 78. January 15, 2021 / 11:05 PM ANNAPOLIS, Md. He was, in every sense, a lion of the Senate. Maryland has lost one of its most revered leaders, and I have lost a dear lifelong friend, said Hogan, who first met Miller in the 1960s. She was determined that I was not going to work in the store, he once told The Washington Post. Mike then went on to start his own legal practice, opening his first office in Clinton, MD, just down the road from his grandfathers store. Miller's, a general store that Mr. Miller's father eventually took over. Ever the pragmatist, he had reached out months before to four newly elected senators, progressives who had defeated his more moderate lieutenants in the 2018 Democratic primary. Senate President Mike Miller has metastasized prostate cancer, faces chemo", "Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Maryland Senate President Emeritus", "University of Maryland Main Administration Building Named for Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr", "Maryland delegate's effort to allow child abuse lawsuits clears hurdle", "Mike Miller resigning from Maryland Senate after more than 45 years", "Longtime Maryland Senate leader diagnosed with cancer", "Mike Miller, longest-serving Maryland Senate president, dies at 78", Project Vote Smart - Senator Thomas V. 'Mike' Miller Jr. (MD), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_V._Miller_Jr.&oldid=1130954990, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 20:45. California Vital Records FamilySearch There has been no major initiative that has occurred without Mikes leadership. Miller continued to wield enormous influence for the rest of his tenure as Senate president, serving in tandem with the late speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), the longest-serving House speaker in Maryland history, from 2003 until Buschs death in 2019. That happened with a strong push from the Senate president, who noted in later years that the states six casinos would be part of his legacy. He wanted to be with his colleagues serving the people of the 27th District, but the physical burden was too much to bear. He stepped down from the leadership position in 2019 . Mike received the following awards for his long career of service: 1999 Tyser Medallion Award for Outstanding service to the University of Maryland, Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Maryland, William P. Coliton Community Service Award for Excellence. For all his adaptability, Mr. Miller was stubborn when it came to history. Even as he waged a hard-fought battle with cancer, I was blessed to continue to benefit from Mikes wisdom and trademark humor. By his own account, Mr. Millers crowning achievement was the legalization of casino gambling and the subsequent launch of gaming in Prince Georges, despite fierce opposition from church leaders and civic groups. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Miller maintained a long-held passion for higher education in Maryland, particularly the University of Maryland, College Park, his alma mater. As the longest-serving state senate leader in Maryland and US history, my friend Mike Miller had an amazing ability to get things done, Clinton said in a tweet on Friday night. Obituaries give visitation, funeral and memorial details. Tom was best known for his . William Donald Schaefer. 8808 Old Branch Avenue, Clinton, MD 20735. Serving the people of our great state was Mike Millers lifes work, and he did so with unrelenting passion and courage for a remarkable 50 years. MICHAEL MILLER OBITUARY. . An astute observer of state politics, he used his acumen to muscle through bills, but he also could willingly acquiesce to major legislation he opposed. A thick-shouldered pragmatist who had no use for ideologues, Mr. Miller led the campaign to legalize casino gambling in Maryland and, despite his centrist views, facilitated the passage of progressive laws including legalization of same-sex marriage and the repeal of the death penalty. Once, while discussing a tough special session in 2007, he pulled back his suit jacket and showed reporters where red ink from a pen had leaked, as if he were bleeding. It passed by 100,000 votes. My thoughts are with Patti and the entire family.. In 2017, he was widely criticized for opposing the removal from the state capitol grounds of a statue of Roger Taney, the Maryland-born Supreme Court chief justice who supported the 1857 Dred Scott decision that Blacks in free or slave states could not be citizens. He was a loving husband to his lucky wife, Diane, whom he married on Oct. 23, 1976. . Mr. Miller often attributed his political endurance to his ability to see whats going to happen before it happens. Despite his own reservations, he facilitated the abolition of the death penalty in Maryland in 2013 after polls showed the public supported the ban. Filter Obituaries Filter . Paid for and Authorized by Marylanders for Miller; Kimberly M. Miller, Treasurer (Joshua McKerrow / Baltimore Sun) "His . Maryland Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller, a pragmatic, tough-minded leader who presided over a progressive agenda in the chamber for a record 33 years, died Friday afternoon, his family announced. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the California Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. He became Senate president at the beginning of 1987, a post he held until the fall of 2019 serving alongside six governors and four House speakers, fighting with some more than others. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) ordered that all state flags be flown at half-staff in Millers honor, until the former senators internment. But almost every conversation was also laced with levity and profanity. "The First Lady and I extend our most heartfelt condolences to President Millers wife, Patti, their five children and 15 grandchildren, his Senate colleagues, and all who loved him. "Serving the people of our great state was Mike Millers lifes work, and he did so with unrelenting passion and courage for a remarkable 50 years. (function() { Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. He concluded this extraordinary period of service as Senate President Emeritus. The people of Maryland are forever indebted for his service.". At his core, Mike was who you saw. Miller was a University of Maryland graduate and remained a passionate booster of the College Park campus and its sports teams until his dying day. Millers, which was started by his grandfather, remains to this day. Mr. Miller, who regarded himself as the curator of State House history, hung portraits on his office walls of past Maryland governors, including segregationists. He was known as a tireless advocate for higher education institutions in Maryland and the building's official moniker was the "Thomas V. Miller Administration Building. He has got an Irish temper and an Irish humor, but you never know which one hell be in at that minute.. Im going to do what I do as long as my health says I can do it.. [7], On December 23, 2020, he announced his resignation from the senate, citing health reasons. This may have seemed like a small sacrifice to the outside world, but anybody who knew Mike knew the decision did not come easy. Show your love for Southern Maryland by powering authoritative, in-depth reporting about your community, and keeping access free for neighbors who need it. He thought he could print money in the basement of the State House., Marvin Mandel dies; ex-Md. Through the Miller Center and the lives he touched, his . He is survived by his bereft, loving wife, Diane Thomas Miller, who dearly wishes a cure would be found for Alzheimer's so fine men like Mike could live out their days without suffering. "An icon is the best way I can ever describe him," said former Washington County state Senator Andrew Serafini. Miller was a man of his times and the political environment in which he grew up. Danielle E. Gaines contributed to this report. Council - 6th Ward. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch at the State of the Judiciary speech in 2005. Whether its the Senator who he quietly consoled through family matters, the Senator who he mentored to compromise and pass legislation, or those who experienced the personal care of Mike to truly listen to their concerns. Serafini said Miller was also an expert historian on state history and they often exchanged books on subjects. It was an unprecedented period of shared power and stability. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., 1942-2021 - Maryland Matters View obituary. May his memory be a blessing. Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Last Name. His alma mater, the University of Maryland at College Park, in June named its main administration building in his honor. He was 78 years old. So, Senator Miller demonstrating what he had preached so often stepped down to make sure his district could have the best representation possible. From an early age, Mike learned what it meant to serve others when he began working in his grandfather's local market at the age of 10. His parents politics spanned the Democratic spectrum, with his father a conservative and his mother a New Dealer who encouraged her son to go to law school. Tom grew up in Western New York and moved to Central Florida in the early 90's where he lived with his friend Rick. Whether its the Senator who he quietly consoled through family matters, the Senator who he mentored to compromise and pass legislation, or those who experienced the personal care of Mike to truly listen to their concerns. A funeral mass was held for Senate President Emeritus Thomas V "Mike" Miller Jr. Saturday morning at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church in Clinton, in which he was remembered for his love .