A memorial service for former Avery Dennison Corp. Chairman Charles D. Miller, who died last month, is planned for Monday in Pasadena.
Miller died at his home in Pasadena Nov. 23 due to complications from emphysema. He was 83.
He served as chairman and chief executive officer from 1977 to 1998 and was “instrumental in transforming the company from a U.S.-based manufacturer into a global Fortune 500 market leader in pressure-sensitive labeling materials and office products,” the Pasadena company said in a statement.
Miller joined the company in 1964 when it was known as Avery Products Corp. He helped lead the company through a series of acquisitions that culminated with a 1990 merger with Dennison Manufacturing Co. After retiring, he continued to serve as director emeritus until his death.
“Every aspect of our business, from vision to strategy to execution to culture, has been shaped for the better by his passion and imagination,” said Chief Executive Dean A. Scarborough, who also noted Miller’s service to the community in a statement.
Miller was a past chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Business Advisors. He had been a director on several corporate boards, including Korn/Ferry International, Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Edison International. Among his numerous philanthropic activities was a stint as chairman of United Way of Greater Los Angeles from 1995 to 2001. He was among the first members of the organizing committee that brought the 1984 Olympic Games to Los Angeles, and until his death was member of the executive board of the Rose Bowl Legacy Campaign for the renovation and preservation of the facility. Miller served as a university trustee and presidential counselor of Johns Hopkins University, his alma mater, and endowed a chair in East Asian studies there.
Miller was born in Hartford, Conn. on March 1, 1928 and grew up in Old Greenwich. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Carolyn; their two daughters, Amanda Daly Miller and Candice Louise Miller; three daughters from his previous marriage, Katherine Ann Miller, Susie Cherrill Otten and Charlotte Juanita Miller; and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be private. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Monday, Dec.12 at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena. A memorial web site, CharlesDMiller.org has been created.
Donations can be made to the Charles D. Miller Legacy Fund, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, or to the Charles D. Miller Rose Bowl Legacy Fund.
