Warren Alton Miller, Md

Dr. Warren Alton Miller, 93, died peacefully, after a stroke, with family at his bedside on September 12 at Moravian Village where he resided.  He was the husband of Anna Jane (Schisler) Miller.  Born in Bath on November 26, 1924, Dr. Miller was a son of the late William Abraham and Lillian Freeda (Fehnel) Miller.  He attended Bath schools, Northampton High School, Ursinus College, and graduated in 1947 from Jefferson Medical College, now known as Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.  After an internship and residency at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, he began his legacy family practice at 1220 Broadway in Fountain Hill in 1948.  His practice was interrupted in 1951 for two years of Army service during the Korean War where he served as Battalion Surgeon and then at a MASH unit near Seoul.  He received the bronze star for meritorious service while training Korean doctors and medical personnel.  Doc Miller had an abiding passion for family medicine and the care of his patients.  After thirty-three years of solo practice, he and his son, Dr. William L. Miller, along with Dr. Dale Grove and Dr. Michael Abgott formed South Mountain Family Practice in 1981 and moved to a new building at 1545 Broadway in Fountain Hill.  Warren retired in 1991 after forty-three years of family practice serving the Fountain Hill community, delivering more than 3,000 babies and "thoroughly enjoying every minute."  He was always there when needed.

In addition to practicing medicine, he had two great loves.  The first and foremost was his wife, Anna Jane.  Married on June 19, 1948 in Northampton, she and Warren celebrated their 70 ^th wedding anniversary this year with family.  His second love was Blue Heron Lake in Porter Township, Pike County where he first went to hunt in 1947 and 1948 with Anna Jane's uncles, George Schisler and Franklin Silfies.  He became a member at Blue Heron Lake on November 9, 1949, and served on the Board of Directors for thirty years and as President for twenty-one years from 1963-1984.  Warren and Anna Jane wrote and self-published a book, "A History of Blue Heron Lake" in 2004.    He stayed involved in multiple projects at "the lake" including building a new skeet field and modernizing the existing trap field "before setting in the western sunset" of his life.

An enthusiastic fisherman and hunter, "Doc" Miller approached life exuberantly and filled it with many avocations including playing French horn (often at midnight when returning from seeing patients at the hospital) and trumpet and the occasional family hike.  He indulged in being a photographer, gardener, tennis player at his cabin or at Saucon Valley Country Club, world traveler, fly fisherman building fly rods and tying flies, woodworker, and rifle, pistol, skeet and trap shooting competitor.  He "was lucky to be anchorman" on the Pennsylvania 5-man skeet squad that won a title at the World Skeet Shooting Championships in St. Janvier, just outside of Montreal, Canada in 1962.  "Doc" was known for always having an answer and for the occasional exaggeration.

Warren Miller was a long-time member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (1952-1992), including being a Fellow from 1972-1992.  Other memberships included the American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, and the Northampton County Medical Society.  He also served as Chairman of the Concentrated Care Unit at St. Luke's University Hospital – Bethlehem campus for twelve years in the 1970s and early 80s.

Dr. Miller was a guarantor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and member of the Pennsylvania German Society.  He was chairman of the building committee for St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fountain Hill when they built their new sanctuary at 1059 Delaware Avenue in 1964-5, and he also served on the committee that oversaw the renovations at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at Dingman's Ferry, PA in the late 1980s.

Survivors: Wife, Anna Jane; son, William Lloyd Miller (Deborah Riffee) of Allentown and grandson, Ethan Lloyd Miller (Kathryn Boverman) of Greene, Maine and great grandson, Loren Miller Boverman and granddaughter, Lindsay Marianna Miller of Allentown; daughter, Marianna Beth Tlush (Anthony P.) of Bethlehem and grandson, Charles Warren Werley of San Jose, CA and granddaughter Susanna Jane Werley of San Diego, CA; son, Andrew Warren Miller of Bethlehem.  Predeceased by a sister, Shirley Ethelyn Paulus of Bethlehem.

Services: A funeral service will be held on Monday, September 17 at 11am at Christ Lutheran Church, 69 Main Street, Hellertown followed by a reception at the church.  Friends and family may call between 10-11am prior to the funeral service in the church.  Private interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Cherryville Road, Northampton, 18067.  Arrangements are under the care of Schisler Funeral Home, 2119 Washington Avenue, Northampton, PA 18067.

Contributions: May be made to Christ Lutheran Church of Hellertown for the Community Garden Memorial Fund c/o the funeral home.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schislerfuneralhomes.com