Emmit Arthur Miller, age 84, passed away October 10, 2021.  He was born November 21, 1936, in Alvin, Texas to Darrel Arthur and Millicent Lovejoy (Lewter) Miller. He was the Salutatorian of the Alvin High School class of 1954.  After graduating, he attended Alvin Community College and the University of Texas before volunteering for the draft in 1958. He served 2 years in the Army Signal Corp teaching the repair of cryptographic machines. After his service, he took a job with Friden, Inc. in San Leandro, California, briefly returning to Alvin in 1960, to marry Jo Ann Swink. They spent 61 wonderful years together.

In 1962, they returned to Texas where he enrolled in Southwest Texas State College (now Texas State University) and earned a Bachelor and a Master's degree in Industrial Arts education. After graduation he began a 33-year career at Alvin High School teaching Industrial Arts, primarily woodworking. He taught generations of students in his role at the high school. In 1972 he was chosen as the Outstanding Industrial Arts Teacher for the Gulf Coast Branch of the Texas Industrial Arts Association. Emmit also taught an adult evening woodworking course for Alvin Community College for decades, where he introduced many community members to the art of woodworking and furniture building.

Emmit was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church where he was often a Sunday School teacher. He was also a member of the Alvin Historical Museum Society, Alvin Area Retired School Personnel, and the Alvin Library League.  He was an avid reader and outdoorsman, enjoying both hunting and fishing. His annual trips for hill country deer hunting and fishing at Lake Somerville are wonderful family memories. His sons introduced him to hunting elk and antelope, and he fished for halibut in British Columbia with his brothers. Two memorable trips included a weeklong canoe trip in the Canadian boundary waters with his son Jim, and a 60-mile rafting trip down the Smith River in Montana with his son David, daughter Cathy and three grandchildren.

His contributions to the community include building, along with good friend Billy Struckmeyer, the bow-tie fence for the Slover- Rogers Cottage, the wooden pinnacles to top the cottage, reconstructing the fence around the train depot, building various exhibit cases in the historical museum, and building bookcases and cabinetry in the Methodist Church.  A list of items he has built for family and friends is seemingly endless, from a woodshop in his own backyard, to a hunting cabin, many pieces of furniture, ballpoint pens and cutting boards to share with others, and decorations for his granddaughter's wedding.

Emmit is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Jerry.

He is survived by his wife Jo Ann, his daughter Catherine Hall and husband Kraig, his son James and wife Nancy, his son David and wife Keda; seven grandchildren – Michelle Derks and husband Cole, Amy Hall and friend Jake Young, Ryann Cline and husband Austin, Christopher and Jackson Miller, Lexi and Cade Miller;  four great-grandchildren – Collins, Seeley, Hayes, Wells, and soon to be fifth great-grandchild, Scott, his brother Harold and wife Colleen and sister-in- law Bertha Miller.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Alvin First United Methodist Church, the Alvin Museum Society, the scholarship fund of Alvin Area Retired School Personnel or a charity of your choice.