James Miller

James Domonic Miller, 63, of Winnie, died Sunday, October 2, 2022, at Christus Southeast Texas – St. Elizabeth, Beaumont. He was born July 31, 1959, in Beaumont, to Joyce Leger Miller and Wilbert Joseph Miller, Sr.

James was the oldest of 5 children. He was baptized and grew up at St. Louis Catholic Church in Winnie, TX. Wrestling with his brothers and teasing his sisters were his favorite pastime. He learned at a young age the value of a paycheck, and turned his sights on making money to buy a car. His first job was at Millers Cafe, then on to Minimax sacking and stocking groceries. Before graduation, James and his friend Ricardo acquired jobs at Keating Chevrolet. They cruised Winnie every weekend, “riding around” and burning up their paychecks on gas and fixing up their cars. Friends and cousins spent many Saturday nights at the Rodair club, dancing with family and strangers alike.

James graduated from East Chambers High in 1978 and earned his associates degree in computer science. He then began his career as a pipe designer in the petrochemical industry.

From a young age, James had an appreciation for fast cars, music, and the creative arts. A lover of music and movie trivia, James always had an interesting backstory for the movie he was watching or the song that was playing on the radio. He was an excellent dancer, and could charm any girl to dance with him, with his beautiful smile and his perfectly coiffed hair. A gifted artist, James began sketching cartoons and painting in high school. As his interests expanded, he learned to throw pottery and carve intricate designs into wooden boxes. He also enjoyed leather crafts. Unfortunately, much of his work was lost in the hurricane that destroyed his home. James was a self proclaimed fishing legend. He loved to spend the day at the beach with lines in the water, alone or enjoying the company of a friend, drinking beer and always challenging who had better fishing skills. He loved bull sessions with his friend Jeff, enjoying a drink and sitting around solving the world’s problems. An avid fan of family game night, James was always inquiring about the next poker game, marble game, or his fervent desire to learn to play Mahjong. This enthusiasm for games extended into the casino, his favorite outing. He was the life of the party at the Roulette table, laughing and joking, with plenty of boisterous commentary for everyone who sat at the table with him.

Convinced of his superior Roulette skills, he always left the table feeling like a winner. In later years, James became a lover of cruising. He was fortunate to take a cruise with his dad. During his dad’s declining years, James spent many days caring for him, riding around and visiting their favorite restaurants. When his dad was in the nursing home, James settled in as the honorary activities director, organizing domino games for the residents who wanted to play and bringing goodies for all of them to share. He loved his neighbor, Mrs. Yvonne, and loved sharing food with her and stopping in for a visit. He was also a dog lover and was the family dog sitter and dog walker. He loved all of the family animals, and took care of them with the kindest heart. He often spoke of his dog, Brutus, long ago passed, but still with great love and affection.

James was playful, fun loving, outgoing, and a genuinely nice guy. His personality and childlike demeanor were a perfect combination for a fun time. He was like our own Jim Carrey, with his “baby possum” impersonation and his recreation of “the fang” and “the claw”. He always had time to talk, visit, or reminisce about days gone and days to come. If you needed him, and he was able, he was there for you. He was a fun loving brother, uncle and friend and his infectious smile and laughter will be terribly missed.

James is preceded in death by his parents. Left to cherish his memory are his family, Debbie Clark and husband Patrick, Kyle Miller and wife Cindy, Pamela Hargraves and husband Greg, and Wilbert Miller Jr. and wife Ruth, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He also leaves behind a special uncle and aunt, who loved and cared for him, Jerrell and Ruth Leger. Our deepest love and gratitude to his second mom, his aunt, “Nanny Bee”, Beverly Guidry and her whole family who loved and cared for James during a particularly difficult time in his life. He will be sorely missed.

A gathering of Mr. Miller’s family and friends will be 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., Friday, October 7, 2022, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 8, 2022, at St. Louis Catholic Church, 315 Buccaneer Drive, Winnie, with his interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Winnie.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Humane Society of Southeast Texas, 2050 Spindletop Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77705.