Billy W. Miller

After a full life, Billy Warren Miller joined the love of his life Ruby Mae Miller (Wood) in eternal rest on September 24th, 2023. Billy was born in the coal mining town of Beckley, West Virginia to Chester Miller and Lydia West (Spurlock). Family and friends were the greatest joys in his life. He was blessed with four siblings who he loved deeply – the late Willie Honaker, Robert “Bob” Miller (Janet), Juanita Curry (Sebert), and Barbara Francisco (Donnie). He also had many nieces and nephews who were important to him.

Billy met and fell in love with Ruby in Louisville, Kentucky. They got married and put their roots down in Cleveland, Ohio, having a beautiful and loving marriage that lasted 1 day shy of 49 years. They raised their children Pamela Roush and the late David New, who blessed them with their true pride and joy, their grandchildren Bunny Callahan (Bryon Wright), Cody Roush, and Raechel Roush as well as great grandchildren Abigail Kub and Bryson Wright. Billy often told his family that they were the reason that the good lord let him open his eyes every day. Billy was also blessed with many friends throughout his lifetime who he regularly got into trouble with. With his friends he could be found doing auto body repair in his garage (typically on a car that he himself caused the damage to), playing music at the local bar known as his basement, street racing (which we can legally say now that he can no longer be criminally charged), throwing block parties while manning the BBQ pit, cutting a rug on the dance floor which got him the nickname “crazy legs”, and cooking to make sure that none of his friends and family went hungry. He worked for 32 years at Alcoa, and if you asked him what he did there he would have said “just about everything.” “Sneaky Snake” also loved his award winning pearl white 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

He was well known for his slight West Virginia draw and had a quip for just about every situation – examples include “we’re going to have a come to Jesus meeting” which meant you were about to be in trouble. If you asked what he needed from the store it’d be “a nickels worth of 100 dollar bills”, you were greeted with “do you live around here, work on a farm, or haul saw dust?” If he hadn’t seen you in some time, if you were smiling he’d ask why you were “grinnin’ like a possum eating shit”, when talking about protecting his family he’d say “I’m too old to take a whoopin’ and too cripple to run”, if you told him you were stopping over he’d say “we’re always here ‘til closing time”, and no matter how long your visit was he’d tell you “don’t rush off.”

Billy truly left an impression on every single person he met. He had a legacy of love, friendship, strength, and good humor that none of us who knew him will forget. We were very lucky to have someone as incredible as him in our lives and he made all of us better people for having known him. He is so loved and will live on in the stories we share about him.

Billy’s celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 11th from 11am to 3pm at the CWA Union Hall at 1400 E Schaaf Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44131. His family will be planning a car show in Spring of 2024 “when the weather breaks.”