Michael G. Miller, 69, of Kansas City, MO, passed away February 10, 2019. He was born January 9, 1950 in St. Joseph, MO to Gene and Helen Miller. The family moved to Kansas City in 1956 and his baby brother Matthew was born in 1957. He attended freshman year at Raytown South High School before his family moved to Chicago. A year later they moved to Pleasantville, NY where he spent his junior year. A final move back to Kansas City had him in a different district than before, so he graduated from Raytown High School in 1968. Mike was a high school track star and his love of running and being healthy was a passion throughout his life.
He attended UMKC where he studied Radio and Television Communications. He married his high school sweetheart, Donna Harper, in 1972. They eventually divorced in 1983 but remained lifelong friends.
Mike’s interest in radio and advertising was thanks to his parents, who met while working at KRES in St. Joseph – his dad as copywriter and his mom on a radio show. He grew up around film sets and control rooms because of his dad, who enjoyed a long and successful career in the advertising industry. In fact, Mike’s first job was working for his dad.
As his career progressed, Mike worked at Fletcher-Mayo and Bernstein-Rein as a writer/producer. His focus ultimately turned exclusively to broadcast production, which lead him to senior roles at Barkley & Evergreen and Valentine Radford (twice!). In 1992 he started his owncompany, Capricorn Productions. His work earned him many awards over the years, including accolades from KC Art Directors, KC Omnis, St. Louis Emmy, Regional Emmy, New York Art Directors, One Show and Clio. But he was most proud of the relationships he formed over the years with dozens of art directors, writers, account executives, directors, actors, camera operators, gaffers, grips, video and audio editors, and the list goes on. He loved what he did and the people he did it with.
While working at Valentine-Radford, Mike met Mary Schuler. After living together for almost 7 years, they had a ‘surprise wedding’ on September 17, 1999. Finding each other and sharing their lives together was a gift that they both treasured beyond measure.
Left behind to ensure his spirit lives on are his wife, Mary Schuler (KCMO), brother Matthew Miller (KCMO), cousin and best friend, Greg Colvin and his wife Chris (Pasadena, CA), nieces MacKenzie Miller (KCMO) and Emily Nardoni and her husband Joe (Davenport, IA), nephews John (Washington, DC) and Joe (Chicago, IL) and brother-in-law Luke and his wife Kimberly (Atlanta, GA) and a host of loving friends and relatives.
The family wishes to acknowledge the incredibly supportive staff of Brookdale College Square for caring for Mike the last 6 years.
Family and friends are invited to remember Mike on Friday, February 15th from 1-3pm at Signature Funerals, 406 East Bannister Road, Suite D, KC, MO 64131. Contributions can be made in his honor in memory of all of the animals he loved so dearly (Wayside Waifs or Spay and Neuter KC) or to end the disease that robbed him of us way too soon (Alzheimer’s Association).
My mother also suffered with Alzheimer’s Disease; my heart goes out to all of Mike’s family and friends.
I contributed to the Alzheimer’s Association, and Spay and Neuter KC as I shared Mike’s connection to animals.
I’m very sad to learn of Mike’s passing, although I realize Alzheimers actually claimed him some time ago. Living just a few blocks west on the same street, Mike would frequently jog by while I was having coffee and a cigarette on my front porch; waving as he went by, with no judgement of my habits. 🙂 He was a kind and decent person who made our world a brighter place. He also made the world a better place for the kitties he was so fond of. May he rest in peace.