Obituary of Kenneth P. Miller

Kenneth P. Miller, 86, husband of Margaret (Peggy) Alexander Miller, passed away peacefully at the Hospice House in Auburn, Maine on March 9, 2011 surrounded by his loving family. He was born July 3, 1924 in Milford, Mass., son of Fanny (Hutchins) and Kenneth Miller. In 1937 the Millers moved to Portland, Maine. Ken graduated from Deering High School in 1943, and answered his country's call enlisting in the Army Air Corps and was discharged in 1946 as Sgt. Miller. In 1951, Ken graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and earned his master of business administration from Northeastern University in 1959. Ken was employed by General Electric at the Riverworks in Lynn, Mass., building jet engines from 1951 to 1962. He then worked for Avco until 1969. During that time at Avco, he was in charge of the renovations to the Poland Spring Hotel, which was under the auspices of the U.S. Government in the Job Corps Program. In 1962, the Millers purchased Pleasant Mountain Inn on the shores of Moose Pond in Bridgton, Maine. which they operated until 1988. Ken was a great athlete, playing football and baseball at Deering High School. His love for skiing began in the late 1930s at Pleasant Mountain (now Shawnee Peak) where he skied yearly (except for the war years) through 2007, then in his 80s. He was a member of the ski patrol and later taught skiing for the Hans Jenni Ski School for many years. He was very active in the Pleasant Mountain Ski Club and also the Mount Washington Valley Ski Educational Foundation. An outdoorsman, Ken climbed all the 4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire and was often seen climbing Pleasant Mountain with his beloved Newfoundlands. After retirement, he indulged his love of golf winning the Club Championship at Lake Kezar Country Club at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife of 52 years; his son, David and wife, Mary; granddaughters, Hannah and Molly, of North Conway; his sister, Shirley Miller Dunning, of Cromwall Conn.; his brother Stuart, of Lovelnad, Colo. and several nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held May 7 at Shawnee Peak at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Androscoggin Hospice House, 236 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME, 04210