Matthew S. Miller

Matthew S. Miller, 74, passed away at his home on Friday, January 21, 2005, after a brief illness. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, January 25, at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Greg Gordon officiating. Friends may call on the family one hour before the service. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the St. Joseph/Lincoln Senior Center or to Hospice at Home of Stevensville. Friends who wish to share a memory or sign the guestbook online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Matt was born in Newark, NJ on September 3, 1930 and grew up in New York City. He was drafted into the Army and served in the Korean Conflict. After leaving the service, he worked as a technician for General Precision Industries in New York City. Matt graduated from NYU with a Master?s in electrical engineering. He worked as a microwave engineer for Raytheon in Boston, MA and then for Sage Laboratories. Matt was one of the lead engineers in the development of microwave telemetry systems used by NASA in the Apollo space vehicles, and later designed the first microwave ovens for commercial use. In 1978, Matt took a position at General Electric in Louisville, KY where he continued to improve the design of microwave ovens. He worked for GE for 18 years and holds more than 18 patents in the field. Matt retired from GE in 1996 and he continued to consult for GE throughout his retirement. Matt and his wife Shirley, retired to St Joseph, MI in 1996. He enjoyed boating, fishing, and the beaches of Lake Michigan. He also liked creating things in his workshop, traveling and soaking in the hot tub. Matt was an active volunteer at the St. Joseph/Lincoln Senior Center. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Benjamin Miller of St. Joseph; three sons – Michael (Pat) Miller of Ottawa, KS, Matthew (Marty) Miller of Solomons, MD and Mitchell Miller of Woonsocket, RI; four grandchildren ? Michelle (Ryan) Ficken, Melisa Miller, Jessica Miller and Kristen Miller; and one great grandchild – Sofia Ficken. Matt is also survived by three sisters-in-law; Barbara Dowd of Lawrence, Beverly (Jim) Martin of Tucson, AZ; and Karen (Andy) Saetre of Benton Harbor; two brothers-in-law, Donald (Debi) Benjamin of Watervliet; and Kenneth Benjamin of Coloma; and numerous nieces and nephews. Matt was preceded in death by his parents – Joseph and Fanny Miller; a sister, Ruth Jukich, and a son, Daniel Miller. Matt will be greatly missed by his Family and Friends.