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William J. Miller, M.D. William J. Miller, M.D., prominent Jackson County physician (Dr. Bill to his many pediatric patients, and Poppa to his large extended family) died late Wednesday, April 28, 2010. In pediatric practice for more than 30 years, from 1951 to 1982, he served as president of the joint medical staff at Rogue Valley Medical Center. He was a member of the Jackson County Medical Society and president in 1981, and member of the North Pacific Pediatric Society, president in 1980. He worked as a staff physician at the Veterans' Administration Domiciliary, in White City, from 1982 to 1987, where he retired. He was born in New York, N.Y., February, 4, 1919, to Rita and Ransley Miller, MD. His mother, Rita, was a neurosurgical RN at Poly Clinic Hospital in New York City. His father was a general surgeon. The family moved to Topeka, Kans., where Bill, an only child, grew up, worked at a local county club as a life guard, and attended Washburn University. His medical education was at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and pediatric residency was at Milwaukee Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis. After graduating in 1945, and marriage to Corinne Lamborn, he joined the Army Medical Corps, going to Germany with the Army of Occupation. He was chief of pediatrics at Bremerhaven, Germany, Port of Debarkation, where his unique familiarity with "Hartmann Solution" saved many children from dehydration. Also his familiarity with penicillin, only recently available, helped treat many previously untreatable infections. He returned to Fort Hamilton, N.Y., and then moved to Eugene, Ore., for two years, before moving to Medford in 1951, and joining the newly formed Medford Clinic. During his years in practice he was regarded as an excellent diagnostician and received referrals from a wide geographic area, from Klamath Falls to Northern California and to Southern Oregon coastal areas. He co-chaired the Jackson County Polio Immunization program in the 1950s that had the greatest immunization rate in the state of Oregon. He acted as consulting pediatrician for Crippled Children's Heart clinic in Jackson County, and had many appearances on the local TV show, Adventures in Medicine with Frankie Burton, providing education on a variety of medical subjects. He enjoyed athletics, especially swimming, winning AAU swim meets in backstroke in college. An avid Golfer, he played college golf and was a member of the Rogue Valley Country Club since 1951, accumulating a considerable amount of hardware' both individually and with his sons. He played 3-cushion billiards, and in 1963, helped start the successful local billiard tournament, the Southern Oregon Elk's Invitational, at the Medford Elk's Club. It was at one time the largest 3-cushion billiards tournament in the world. He also taught his many generations of children to snow ski and water ski on his boat Miller's Full House. He married Carol Marquardt on November 26, 1977. Following his marriage, he became deeply spiritual, renewing his Christian faith at First Christian Church in Medford, where he was an elder and assumed other positions of leadership at both the local and regional level. He is survived by an extended family; wife, Carol Miller, and her two children, son, Chris and wife, Tiffani, and daughter, Heidi and husband, Scott Childers; also five children from his first marriage, sons, Mike and wife, Hilda, Greg Miller and wife, Connie. Daughter, Valerie Schmaltz and husband, Rod. Twins,' Debi, and husband, Jim Akey, and Pamela Burgess and husband, Ron. Surviving grandchildren, Sarah Neff and husband, Rob, Jennifer and husband, Jesse Schade, Matthew Miller and wife, Michelle; grandchildren, Ashley and Brody Miller; Cameron, Riley, and Benjamin Childers; Jeannie Bylund and husband, Ehren; Vickie Schmaltz, Annie Schmaltz, Christie Schmaltz and Stephen Schmaltz, and Debi's son, William Scriven; Mike's step-children, Rene, Patty and Christian Villarreal and husband, Brian Patterson. Surviving great-grandchildren include Treyson, Tyson and Tatum Neff, Prestyn Schade, Brooklyn Miller, Lania Bylund, Isabel Villarreal, and Lucia Patterson. A memorial service and celebration of Dr. Miller's life will be held Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at 2:00 p.m., at the First Christian Church, 1900 Crater Lake Avenue, Medford, OR. Memorial contributions can be made in memory of William J. Miller, M.D., Department of Pediatrics and directed to Rogue Valley Medical Center Foundation, 2600 Siskiyou Blvd., Suite 100, Medford, OR 97504.