John Andrew Miller Jr. Dies November 18

John Andrew Miller Jr., known as “Andy,” 79, beloved by all who knew him, passed away at his home in Weston, Massachusetts, on November 18, surrounded by family and following a heroic battle with cancer. Miller is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally Miller, three daughters, Katherine Miller, Alix Miller Keating, and Elizabeth Miller O’Connell, grandchildren Nate, Eliza, Isabel, Tessa, and Owen, and sons-in-law Kevin O’Connell and JP Twarog. Also surviving him are his sisters, Melinda Miller Kneer and Nancy Miller, and cousin Peter Buccheit.

Born in Southampton on May 1, 1942, to Jean LeFevre Miller and John A. Miller, Andy graduated from The Manlius School in New York before earning his college degree from Boston University. He would later enlist in the U.S. Marine Corp Reserve.

Widely admired for his pioneering communications work during Boston’s early tech scene in the 1980s, in 1977, he launched Miller Communications, one of the country’s first and most influential strategic communications firms, focusing on the burgeoning high-tech industry. Growing into a global PR firm, Miller Communications created strategies for pivotal technology companies including such early-stage leaders as Compaq, Lotus, and Ashton Tate. Under Miller’s leadership, the firm helped shape and transform the future of public relations practices, said family members. Following the company’s sale to Shandwick International in 1987, Miller later founded Miller Consulting Group, where he took particular joy in mentoring young and aspiring business communications leaders.

Family members said Miller believed deeply in serving others; he contributed to many causes during his life - often centering around the arts and spirituality. At Harvard’s Fogg Museum he was a member of the Visiting Committee. There he took pleasure in donating the “tiniest” colonial portrait in the collection, which was smaller than a nickel and is a piece frequently used in art classes today. He loved Trinity Church in Boston, serving as a member of the vestry during the rectorship of Spencer M. Rice. Miller was also a poet whose words were often illuminated by his relationships to family and to nature. He enjoyed sharing his work at the Tavern Club and St. Botolph Club, with other artists and poets.

A man for all seasons, Miller was a golfer, surfer, skier, cyclist, poet, raconteur, and world traveler. Miller and his family traveled to the ancient sites around the world for the purpose of education and family bonding. He created a legacy with his children of doing the same. Whether skiing at Alta, swimming in the waters of Nantucket, attending and cheering his daughters’ (and grandchildren’s) sporting events, or simply enjoying a meal together, family members said Miller consistently prioritized being present and active in the lives of his family and friends.

Burial will be private. A Memorial service will be at Trinity Church in Boston, scheduled for the spring of 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Miller’s memory to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, Brookline, MA. 02445, or danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/andymiller for Small Cell Lung Cancer Research.