John David (JD) Miller, 79, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, passed away Aug. 2, 2023.
John David (JD) Miller, was born June 30, 1944, in Kalona, Iowa, to John Jacob Jeremiah (J. John J.) Miller, a bi-vocational farmer and minister of East Union Mennonite Church in Kalona, and Mabel Brenneman Miller, schoolteacher, and mother to five children. JD graduated from Iowa Mennonite High School near Kalona in 1962 and attended Goshen College, a Mennonite college in Goshen, Indiana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
Following college, he attended the University of Iowa Medical School in Iowa City. He completed a residency program in Internal Medicine at Case Western Reserve, and trained at Cleveland Metropolitan Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. It was also during his time at Cleveland that he did a rotation in 1969 at Grand Riviere du Nord Hospital in Haiti, where he began lifelong friendships with, Dr. Richard Stoltzfus and his wife, Elaine.
After medical school, it was his intentional goal to work in a medically underserved area of the country. Dr. Miller responded to an invitation to interview for a position through a contact with William Zuercher, Administrator of the Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital in Harlan Kentucky. He eventually accepted a position as physician, and later Clinic Director, at Clover Fork Clinic (CFC) in Evarts, Kentucky. In the 1980s, Dr. Miller completed the work for the Fellow of the American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.) distinction. He practiced at Evarts for 33 years and continued his relationship with the clinic as their Board Chairman until his death. During his last four years before retiring from CFC clinical practice, he was privileged to serve as the Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Appalachian Regional Health Care, a position he held until 2017.
JD and his family were blessed by wonderful lifelong friends through Harlan Mennonite Fellowship including the Stoltzfus family, Duane and Joan Kauffman, Milton and JoAnn Borntrager, and William and Joyce Zeurcher.
Because of his passionate interest in pursuing and providing quality health care to those who live in areas that have fewer medical providers available, he voluntarily served on a number of health-related boards and committees. These include the Harlan Board of Health, Cumberland Valley Regional Board of Health, the Friedell Committee, Foundation for Healthy Kentucky, Big Sandy Diabetes Coalition, Bluegrass Care Navigators, and UK-CARES Committee to name a few. He was a founding member of Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF), an organization to foster support and encouragement among Christian health care workers.
Dr. Miller valued higher education and involvement in the local community in the Appalachian area and was privileged to serve on the Southeast Community College Board, and the Evarts Community Center Board. Because of his passion for fairness, equality, and justice among those in his community and state, he became a founding member of the Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition, which later became a state-wide organization called Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
As a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. Miller sang in the Sanctuary Choir, served as a teacher for the Theotropists Sunday School Class, participated in LOGOS Senior Ministry, and enjoyed the many volunteer opportunities for ministry. He served monthly as a volunteer physician at Mission Health Lexington, a collaborative community health ministry of Calvary and other local churches.
John David is survived by his wife: Rebecca; daughters: Alice Schermerhorn and Sarah Miller Piper (Michael); and stepchildren: Margo Young White (Roy) and Jared Richey (Martina). Their blended family includes seven grandchildren: Max and Will Schermerhorn, Jonathan and Kate Piper, Skylar and Kirk Young, and Gryfen Richardson. Surviving siblings include: Linda Rowold (George) Brown of Austin, Texas, Marlin (June) Miller of Kalona, James (Jodie) Miller of Minneapolis, Minn. and Gary (Gwen) Miller of Gary, Ind.; and a number of nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their appreciation for all of the ways you have supported the family and shown your love and care for them during this time of loss.
All family, friends, and acquaintances are invited to attend a memorial service to remember him and his legacy Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Calvary Baptist Church, 150 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky, with a 12:30 p.m. service to follow.
See Milward Funeral Directors website at milwardfuneral.com for a list of organizations Dr. Miller would have encouraged support for in lieu of flowers.
