Joshua William Miller

Joshua William Miller was born on Aug. 3, 1985 in Memphis, Tenn., to the late Cheryl Slater Miller and Gary Miller.

Josh passed away Dec. 13 at Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tenn., in the company of his parents, Kathy and Gary Miller, after a two year battle with cancer. He was 28.

Joshua lost his birth-mother when he was three and was adopted by his present mother, Kathy, in 1992. He lived with his parents in Memphis, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and finally moved to Whitefish in 1999 as a freshman at Whitefish High School.

Josh was active and lettered in band, symphony and quartet. He participated in regional and state music contests and won several. Joshua was also active in Christ Lutheran Church youth group and participated in several mission trips to Seattle and Mexico.

Josh attended Carroll College and Flathead Community College. He attended Naval Basic Training in 2008 but was medically discharged before graduation. He then moved to Memphis to be near his maternal grandparents and sister. Josh worked at a variety of businesses, including WBC and Midway Rental in Whitefish and Federal Express and Lowe’s in Memphis.

Joshua contracted cancer in January 2012 and underwent surgeries and treatment at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for nearly two years. He participated in two important melanoma trials through the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. Although he knew his chances of survival were limited, Joshua wanted to participate in hopes someone else could be spared.

Joshua was preceded in death by his birth-mother, Cheryl Slater Miller; his maternal grandparents, Bill and Juanita Slater; and paternal grandfather, Robert Miller.

He is survived by his mother, Kathy Miller of Prospect, Ky., his father, Gary Miller of Whitefish; sister Krista Patterson and her husband David of Memphis; nephew Christian Patterson and niece Megan Patterson, both of Memphis; and his paternal grandmother, Kathryn Miller of Burlington, Iowa; as well as the extended Miller, Slater and Patterson families.

Joshua was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville, Tenn. next to his mother and grandparents. Services were held at the Collierville Funeral Home. A Tribute Memorial has been established at St. Jude’s Children Research Center in Memphis, Tenn., under the name of Joshua and Cheryl Miller.