Tom Miller

Former Sebastopol Mayor Thomas Franklin Miller, 72, died on June
26. Born in Hanson, OK to Houston and Nettie King Miller, Tom
started grade school in Hanson, OK and Came to California as a
small boy, graduating from Oak Grove School where he served as
student body president. In 1950 he graduated from Analy High. Tom
served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War
1950 to 1953, receiving the Purple Heart and being honorably
discharged as a sergeant. In 1953, he joined the Masonic Lodge and
just received a 50-year award in February. Tom belonged to the
order of the Shriner Lodge. In 1955 he started working as an
apprentice embalmer and graduated from the San Francisco College of
Mortuary Science. From 1957 to 1961 he worked in a mortuary in Napa
where he received his insurance and embalmer licenses. In 1961 Tom
received his funeral director’s license and opened a mortuary in
Sebastopol, which he owned and operated until 1984. From 1966 to
1990 Tom was elected six times for four terms on the Sebastopol
City Council and served as mayor of the city for six years. In 1972
Tom established the Sebastopol Kiwanis Club and served as the
chapter president. From 1973 to 1974 Tom served as lieutenant
governor. In 1961, Tom joined the American Legion Post 39 and
served 13 years as commander and post service officer from 1961 to
the present. In 1962 he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars. While
on the City Council Tom served as president of the Sonoma County
Mayors and Council Association. He also was the president of the
Redwood Empire Division of the League of California Cities. Tom was
the past president of the Redwood Empire Funeral Directors
Association. In 1991 he was named the Sebastopol citizen of the
year. In 1985, Tom organized the Sebastopol Sister City program
with Yamauchi Japan (visiting that city twice). From 1975 to
present Tom was the Sebastopol trustee on the Sonoma-Marin mosquito
district board. Tom enjoyed flying airplanes and was an avid
golfer. Tom was preceded in death by his sister Evelyn Scott. Tom
is survived by his wife, Mary Miller, his children Mary Kildahl,
Sue (Ken) Pflegaard and Kim (Bob) Santos, Fred (Donna) Kurzhals and
Mike (Cheryl) Kurzhals, 11 grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren, his sisters Cherokee (Jack) Helm, Wanda (Buck)
Gardner and Bobbie Standridge and numerous nieces, nephews, &
friends. Donations may be made in Tom’s name to the American Cancer
Society. A visitation will be held from noon to 8 p.m. today, July
1, at the Pleasant Hills Chapel, 1700 Pleasant Hill Rd., Sebastopol
with a funeral service at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 2 at Pleasant
Hills with burial to follow at Pleasant Hills.