Timothy I Miller, 72, of Ottawa, IL, passed away Sunday, May 31, 2020 at his home surrounded by his wife and children, after a battle with IPF.
Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with cremation rites. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Tim was born June 7, 1947, in Allen County, OH, to Dr. Kenneth George and Thelma Elizabeth (Kindley) Miller. He married Linda K. Patchin on May 20, 1973 in Grover Hill, OH.
Tim was a 4th generation optometrist, graduating from Loyola University in 1969 and from Illinois College of Optometry in 1973. He opened his own practice in May 1975 in Ottawa and retired in 2014. Tim loved going fishing with his grandchildren and going to the property with his life-long friends, Steve Hicks and DG Wheeler. Tim enjoyed spending the evenings with his wife, reflecting on their life, during cocktail hour. He also spent many summer vacations with his family in Arkansas. He was a member of the Illinois Optometric Association, the Starved Rock Optometric Society, past president of noon Rotary, and a proud Paul Harris Fellow.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; two children, Nathan (Amanda) Miller and Elizabeth (Shawn) Thompson; five best friends who just happen to be his grandchildren, Tatumn and Kindley Moore, Nora and Ivan Miller, and Pfeiffer Thompson; one brother, Dr. Dennis (Jeni) Miller; two sisters, Kris (Kenneth) Minnich and Pamela (John) Wannemacher; sisters-in-law, Jane Miller, Sue Patchin, and Laurie (Craig) Crozier; brothers-in-law, David (Jamie) Patchin and Doug (Tracy) Patchin; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Ken and Thelma Miller; one son at birth; one brother, Kenneth Miller; his sister-in-law, Cheryl Miller; and his IPF co-battler, Billy Stratton.
Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Hicks, Paul Martin, DG Wheeler, Dr. Gary White, and Steve White.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude for Dr. Bryan McVay from the Illinois Lung and Critical Care Institute and the Breathers Group at Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Morris Hospital.
In 2020, the year of the optometrist, after a three year battle with IPF, Tim has gone forever fishing.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ways-to-give/donate-now.
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