MILLER, Robert I. Aug 18, 1920 Jul 20, 2014 Bob was preceded by four months in death by his beloved wife, Maecile, of 70 years. He is survived by daughters, Michaela Miller of Omaha and Melanie Shipley of Seattle; two grandchildren Allison and John Shipley, also of Seattle; loving and caring family members Jeff and Terri Jewell, Jilla and David Arthur, Joe Jewell, Jr.; the Terry and Shelly Zurek family; sister-in-law Shirley Zurek; many, many nieces and nephews, and cherished life-long friends. Bob is a native Omahan. He grew up in South Omaha attending South Lincoln Grade School with his two brothers, Fred and Gordon, and sister, Jane Francis. He graduated from South Omaha High School, where he met his future wife, Maecile Zurek. Bob worked for Packers National Bank until he joined the United States Army’s 354th Infantry in January 1943; he was deployed to Europe and served with the Infantry’s Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) as a medical technician in Germany and France. After several cancelled furloughs that were to be his wedding day, Bob and Maecile were finally married at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, on October 4th, 1943. Upon returning from service abroad, he and Maecile together built two homes in the Central Omaha area. Bob worked for both Northern Natural Gas Company and later the Omaha Public Power District and retired after serving eighteen years as the Managing Editor of OPPD’s company publication, FLASH. Bob also held a “second” job for over 40 years tracing both his and Maecile’s family histories. He and Maecile were charter members of St. Thomas More Catholic Church; he also served as the first editor of the church’s newsletter, The Parishoner. Bob had countless interests. He enjoyed photography, writing, golfing, carpentership, classical music, flying – especially gliders, and traveling near and far. He was an avid reader and researcher and over many years built a substantial personal library for himself and his family. He studied journalism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, née Omaha University. Bob was an assistant instructor for the Dale Carnegie Institute. Along with Maecile, Bob was a tireless volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation following the diagnosis of his granddaugher, Allie, with Type I Diabetes in 1994. Bob was a long-time member of the Omaha Press Club. In his private life, Bob loved the outdoors; he fed the birds, made friends with the squirrels and rabbits, and even the neighbor’s unapproachable dogs. He had many endearing secrets such as maintaining the grave of a forgotten soldier in Omaha’s Holy Sepulchre Cemetary for over 50 years. He designed and proposed a monument for The Great Plains Black History Museum in Omaha during its early days in the 1970s. Bob maintained a lifelong, close friendship with a young German boy named Karl, whom he met in the war in Germany when the American soldiers would give items from their care packages to the village children. Karl and his wife, Anne, to this day have remained dear and close friends with Bob and Maecile; their friendship has included many transcontinental visits to each others homes in the last 60 years. Bob was a kind, patient, loving, and faithful man. His daughters remember his parting words of wisdom before they were off on any childhood or teenage adventure, “Remember to keep your powder dry.” When Bob passed away this last Sunday, it was not because of any physical event, but instead the constant heartache that because of his Alzheimer’s Disease he did not always understand, but that did have a name he said a dozen times each day, “Mace”. Since last Sunday, we have not stopped imagining the most joyful reunion that must be taking place in Heaven this week. Bob’s faith, love of country, family and friends, and his hometown was unwavering. The American flag flew each and every day from his front porch. He had a kind word or smile for everyone; his warmth, humor, and happiness in simply living touched us all along his rich, rich journey of 94 years. VISITATION begins Friday, July 25th at 9:30am at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, followed by MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL at 10:30am at the church. Entombment, St. John Cemetery Mausoleum with military honors by Benson VFW Post 2503. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Thomas More Endowment Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or Alzheimers Association.
HEAFEY-HEAFEY-HOFFMANN DWORAK & CUTLER Mortuaries and Crematories 7805 West Center Road Omaha, Nebraska 68124 (402) 391-3900
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