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Senate Engrossed |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-first Legislature Second Regular Session 2014
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SENATE RESOLUTION 1004 |
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A RESOLUTION
On the death of Cecil H. Miller, Jr.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Dedicated Arizona agricultural activist Cecil H. Miller, Jr. passed away on October 2, 2013 at the age of eighty-five.
Cecil H. Miller, Jr. was born on November 6, 1927 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Franklin Elementary School, Kenilworth Elementary School, North Phoenix High School and Texas A&M University before earning a bachelor's degree in animal husbandry from the University of Arizona in 1949. A skilled farmer and astute businessman, Cecil farmed and ran a feedlot in Tolleson, operated large cattle ranches in Cottonwood and Flagstaff and developed a diversified farming operation in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
In 1950, Cecil built a home in Tolleson, where he became actively involved in the community. He was elected president of the Tolleson Community Farm Bureau, a role that would serve as an impetus to his lifelong commitment to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Throughout his years with the Farm Bureau, he held numerous offices. Most notably, Cecil served as president of the Arizona Farm Bureau and as vice-president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Among his many accomplishments, Cecil led a coalition to craft Arizona's Agricultural Labor Relations Act and participated in trade missions to Israel, Switzerland, Russia, Japan, Denmark and France.
Cecil was admired and respected by many, and various public officials valued his advice and expertise. He was a member of Governor Jack Williams' Land Use Study Commission and he served as one of Governor Bruce Babbitt's representatives on the Groundwater Study Commission and the Rangeland Advisory Committee. Governor Fife Symington named Cecil to the State Compensation Insurance Fund Board of Directors, where he helped design a successful group dividend program that saved Farm Bureau employers over twenty million dollars in the cost of workers' compensation insurance.
Determined to make a difference, Cecil was a leader and participant in many different groups, associations and organizations that strive to bring about positive change, including the Arizona Historical Society, the Mountain States Legal Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts and the Salt River Project. He also devoted a great deal of time to effect the delivery of water from the Colorado River into Central Arizona, and he tirelessly worked to improve trade and commerce with Mexico.
Despite the demands of his professional and charitable obligations, Cecil enjoyed a rich and vibrant personal life. Nothing brought him more joy than spending time with his loved ones. He is survived by his four children, Deborah, Cecily, Ellen and Matthew, thirteen grandchildren and two great‑grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Alzora, and one grandson. He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends and the people of the State of Arizona.
Therefore
Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona:
That the Members of the Senate express regret at the passing of Cecil H. Miller, Jr. and extend their deepest sympathies to his surviving family members and friends.