William Robert "Bobby" Miller

TUSCALOOSA | William Robert "Bobby" Miller, County Commissioner, age 75, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., died January 29, 2016, at DCH Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday, February 1, 2016 at Valley View Baptist Church. Services will follow at 2 p.m. at Valley View Baptist Church, in Tuscaloosa, with Bro. Billy Joy officiating. Entombment will follow in the Chapel of Memories Mausoleum in Memory Hill Gardens on Skyland Boulevard, with Heritage Chapel Funeral Home & Cremations, A Dignity Memorial Provider, directing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Will and Bessie Miller; brothers, Cecil Miller, Hoyt Miller, L.A. Miller and Buford Miller; sisters, Lois Welch, Jean Walkner, Ruth Hudson, Mildred Ivey and Faye Strickland; grandchildren, Hunter Canty, Shelby Strickland, Meg McCollum Lightsey and Amy Sutton and his special son, "Fireman" Joe McCollum; and his sidekick, SHADOW.

Survivors include his wife, Sue Sutton Miller; daughters, Tracy Miller Fulks (Jeff), Rhonda Miller Strickland (Ross)and Michelle Latham (Rick); sons, Robert Michael "Mike" Miller and Terry Canty; grandchildren, Marti Gilmore (Josh), Tripp Canty, Christine Clary, Carl Clary, Cody Strickland (Whitney), Justin Fulks, Carmen Clary, Morgan Sutton, Christian Fulks, Ashlyn Canty Jackson (Corey), Chase Sutton, Caitlynn Strickland, Justin Smalley, Ricky Latham and T.C. Lightsey; great grandchildren, Lily Canty, Reagan Lightsey, Gunnar Gilmore, Harlan Rose Gilmore and Houston Strickland; special daughters, Charlene McCollum, Phylecia Krebs, Dana Newman (Tony Newman), Marci Canty (Glenn Fanelli), Riley Jo Watkins; brother-in-law's, David Sutton (Lisa), Eddie Sutton and Bob Ivey; sister-in-law, Margaret Miller; nieces, Glenda Donavan, Vicky Garner, Cheryl Williams, Beth Wachter, Linda Montgomery, Ann Bean, Jean Hanvey, Joyce Amick, Carrie Jean Thrasher, Patti Riche and Peggy Dahl; nephews, Wally Welch, Jerry Miller, Charles "Bubba" Miller, Dr. Mike Bailey, Bobby Ivey, Billy Walkner, and their families and numerous cousins, relatives and friends.

Mr. Miller was born on May 06, 1940 in Northport, Alabama as the son of a sharecropper's family. He grew up working the fields where he learned the importance of hard work, dedication, commitment and the love of family. He began his professional career selling and delivering newspapers for the Tuscaloosa News. He worked his way through the ranks and then became a photographer for the Tuscaloosa News. He then went to work for B.F. Goodrich where he was employed for 26 ½ years. In 1975 he decided to commit himself to the community of Tuscaloosa County and its citizens when he was elected as Tuscaloosa County Commissioner and holds the honor of being the longest elected County Commissioner in the history of the State of Alabama. He will not only be remembered as an elected official but will be remembered for his tireless efforts to so many non-profit organizations and individuals who always knew he would help them in any way he could. His philosophy was that no one person was any better than the other and that everyone should be treated equal in God's eyes. He was also known as Mr. Christmas as he co-chaired the beginning of Toys for Tots in Tuscaloosa County and was well known throughout the state of Alabama as the decorator of the Christmas Yard Wonderland. Mr. Miller received numerous awards for his charity work including but not limited to the Good Samaritan Award and Citizen of the Year. He served on the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army, Community Service Programs of West Alabama Aids Outreach, and Tannehill State Park. Mr. Miller was a member of Tuscaloosa Co. Cattlemen Association, VOCAL, West Al Planning Council, PRIDE and TARC. He gave so much of his time, life and energy to make his community a better place to live. His greatest love though was his faith in God and his love for his wife Sue and his whole family, most everybody knows him as PawPaw Bobby and they gave him more pleasure than anything in life.

Pallbearers are Justin Fulks, Cody Strickland, Carl Clary, Tripp Canty, Chase Sutton, Justin Smalley, Jeff Fulks, Ross Strickland, Rick Latham, Terrie Jo Watkins, Candia Morris and Shelia Poe.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pete Hayes, Mr. and Mrs. Dickie Hoagland, Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Micklick, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Griffin, Mr. and Mrs. Hardy McCollum, Mr. and Mrs. George Kleinpeter, Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Clements, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Sanders,Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Kelley, Mr. Douglas Edmonds and family, Cole Benton, Andrew Knestrick, Seth Wicker, Amberly Grimes, Mr. and Mrs. Graves Watkins and family, Tina Smelley, Eulon Tucker and family, Joe Krebs and family, Mike Davidson and family, James "Red" McCollum and family, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Cannon, Cynthia Burton, Mr. and Mrs. Foman Deerman, Shirley Morrison and family, staff of Changing Seasons, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Overton, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Youngblood, Mr. and Mrs. Stan Acker, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Tingle, Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Murray, Melvin Vines, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lamb, Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Watson, Sheriff and Mrs. Ron Abernathy, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Mullenix, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Bunn and family, Mr. and Mrs. Terry Bunn and family, The Nichols family, The Spiller Family, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Latham, Dayna Hickman, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lightsey, The Bush Family, Gene Ray Taylor and family, The McAbee family, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Williams, Kim and Savannah Foster, The Williamson Family, All residents of River Hill Apartments, District Attorney Lynn Head and staff, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Spense, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Standridge, All present and past employees of The Bobby Miller Activity Center, Cynthia Burton and all past and present employees of Community Service Programs of West Alabama, Board of Directors of CSP, Tuscaloosa County, Tannehill State Park, Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Department, P.A.R.A, Police Chief Steve Anders and the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa Fire Chief A.J. Martin and members of the Tuscaloosa Fire Department, Fire Chief Bart Marshall and Northport Fire Department, Steve Wyatt's Men's Bible Study Class and all members of Valley View Baptist Church, Dr. George Miller and staff, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and staff, Dr. Wesley Spruill and staff, Dr. John Ferguson and staff, G.I. Associates and staff, and all the nursing staff in the ICCU, ACCU unit, and 6th floor nursing staff of Druid City Medical Center.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in his memory to Community Services of West Alabama, Salvation Army, Hospice of West Alabama or to your favorite charity .

Condolences may be offered at www.heritagechapeltuscaloosa.com. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tuscaloosa/obituary.aspx?n=william-robert-miller-bobby&pid=177524472&fhid=10313#sthash.1TgxiNl0.dpuf