Winchester, MA – George Michael Miller, 90, of Winchester, passed away at the Sawtelle Hospice House in Reading Mass on December 18, 2023.  

George was born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent most of his youth. On recommendation from one of his teachers, George attended a technical high school and went on to attend Drexel University where he earned degrees in both mechanical and chemical engineering while also working co-op jobs, including at the Sikorsky Helicopter plant. It was at Drexel that he met the love of his life and wife of 65 years, Margaret Miller of West Grove, PA.  

George’s engineering career included time at the Sun Oil Company in Philadelphia followed by a long career with the Badger Engineering & Constructors Co. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. George received two US patents for chemical processes that he co-developed for custom refining processes and went on to become a key project management liaison for the company. 

George and Margaret traveled all over the world. They lived in England, Holland, Oakland, Houston, Seoul Korea, and traveled to countless other places for work and for fun. They often recounted their fond memories of living in Seoul, Korea for two years, including during the 1988 Olympics, where they attended countless events with their son and future daughter-in-law. They enjoyed nothing more than telling stories from their many adventures, with Margaret often filling in the details when George couldn’t remember.   

George was smart, kind, and had a great sense of humor.   His wardrobe of hats, wigs, and non-traditional uniforms collected from travels around the world seemed to make timely appearances when required. He was extremely prompt–you could always count on him to show up early. He loved to read, find treasures at yard sales and at the local swap shop in town.  He would talk politics with anyone who would listen. A lifelong Democrat, he shared a common negative view of despised political figures with his wife.  After he concluded his Badger career in his early 60’s he then went back to school to learn how to program computers. He took several entry level programming positions for experience and eventually turned that knowledge into a hobby of recycling and reassembling discarded computer parts into a continuous stream of functional computers for his grandchildren.   

George was fearless and had a strong moral compass. He never backed down defending an underdog. Among his favorite phrases was “Never mind all that” and mispronouncing names and locations with unusual precision. George was also athletic, having played basketball and lacrosse as a youth as well as competing on the Drexel track team as a sprinter.  He started a distance running career in his late 40’s that included going on to run many half and full marathons, including finishing the Boston Marathon several times.  George and Margaret’s best friends were often runners including the late Marja Bakker, former president of the BAA. They enjoyed the yearly event sitting next to and hobnobbing with the mayor and his wife as special guests in the stands at the Boston Marathon finish line. There was rarely a situation that George could not seamlessly adapt to.     

Above all, George was a loving father, husband, and grandfather. He was very involved in her four grandchildren’s lives and was deeply loved by them.  He enjoyed his title as “Playground Supervisor” while frequenting playgrounds and Sandy Beach during summers with the grandchildren growing up. He and Margaret were known to attend almost every single recital, performance, and sports event involving their grandchildren. A proud grandfather, George knew all of their stats, grades, and accomplishments, and was their greatest supporter.

George is survived by his son Elliott, his daughter-in-law Maureen, and his four grandchildren: Emily, Michael, Jonathan, and Andrew, and his dog, Gypsy.   He was predeceased by his wife Margaret Miller, his parents Sadie and Herman Miller and older brother Stuart.   George also leaves a younger brother, Richard his wife Pat, and many nieces and nephews from both brothers.   He will be greatly missed.

A Celebration of George and Margaret’s lives will be held in the Spring 2024, where we all hope to remember all the great days we had with them both.