Obituary of Paul-Anthony Miller

MILLER,PAUL ANTHONY, “PAULIE” 86, of Louisville, passed away Wednesday, June 29, 2005.Born March 16, 1919, Paulie was the youngest of eight boys. He graduated from St. Columba Grade School and St. Xavier High School, where Paulie was a standout in three sports. He was named All State in basketball and played on the 1938 National Catholic High School Basketball Championship team. After graduating, he enrolled at Morehead State University, where he played football and basketball before enlisting in the Naval Air Corps. Paulie graduated from the University of Louisville on August 19, 1944, and he married Mary Catherine Reed. Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, he accepted a coaching position at a new Catholic high school for boys in Louisville’s west end, called Flaget High School.From 1944-1963, he was a teacher and coached several sports. His many honors at Flaget included winning four state championships in football and he was selected as “Coach of the Year” three times. His coaching career at Flaget produced nine future All-Americans including Howard Schnellenberger and Kentucky’s only Heisman Trophy winner, Paul Hornung. Paulie also coached basketball and baseball at Bellarmine College and the semi-pro Louisville Raiders football team. In 1964, Paulie accepted a coaching position at Trinity High School, only to leave the following year to coach at the University of Louisville until 1969. In 1969, he decided to leave his coaching career for a career in politics and was elected to three terms as the circuit court clerk of Jefferson County. He served with distinction from 1969-1987. During his political career, he also served as president of the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks Association and was instrumental in helping to elect several mayors, governors and US senators. At his retirement from public service, he was written into the United States Congressional Record. Although Paulie achieved a legendary status as a football coach and pioneered numerous innovations to the sport, his first love was his wife, Mary. He was married for 60 years and together they raised 11 children. Paulie was a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Among his many accolades, he was a member of the St. Xavier Hall of Fame, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, Kentucky Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the Catholic Schools Distinguished Alumni Award and the Greater Louisville Football Coaches Legends Award. During his retirement, he coauthored “Burning Desire, A History of Flaget High School.”He is survived by his wife, Mary Catherine; 11 children, Barbara Miller-Murphy (Don), Tony Miller (Carla Bass), Beverly Miller, Karen Bowling (Ted), Margie Miller, Rita Murray (Tom), Sandy Glasford (Bob), Johnny Miller (Kathy Martin), Gary Miller (Sandra Dearen), Teresa Noe (David) and David Miller (Dawn Evans); 30 grandchildren, Deana Murphy Graham and Jodi Murphy Blocker, Anthony Miller, Jacky and Kelly Doyle, Eric, Aaron and Maria Bowling, Megan, Stephanie and John Resch, Erin and Jessica Murray, Patrick Stetson, Will and Catherine Glasford, Ashley, Danielle, Courtney, Nicole and Gus Miller, Brittany, Evan and Collin Miller, Bradley, Lauren and Jackson Noe and Ryanne, Michael and Kate Miller; great- grandchildren, Molly, Emma and Harry Graham; and his brothers, Charlie and Joe Miller.The funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 510 Breckenridge Lane, with burial in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. Thursday and 2-9 p.m. Friday at Ratterman & Sons, 3800 Bardstown Road. Memorial gifts may be made to the Community Founda- tion of Louisville for the Paulie Miller Burning Desires Coaches Award, which is a collegiate scholarship for high school student athletes, 2317 Stannye Dr., Louisville, KY 40222; the Flaget Alumni Scholarship Fund, which is a scholarship fund to assist in Catholic High School tuition, PO Box 36558, Louisville, KY 40233-6558; or The Kentucky Right to Life Association, 134 Breckenridge Lane, Louisville, KY 40207.