A Celebration of Life for Bluford Miller will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. at First United Methodist Church, in Duncan (2300 Country Clubb Road), with Reverend Mark Jardine officiating.

Bluford West "Blu" Miller III passed away on August 3, 2025, just three weeks shy of his 86th birthday. He was born on August 21, 1939, in Cushing, Oklahoma, to Bluford West Miller Jr. and Zenda Ouida Alfred Miller. Blu spent his childhood on the family ranches in Payne and Okmulgee counties, as well as in Newton, Kansas, where the family moved during World War II so his father could work for the railroad. He was a proud member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

A graduate of Newton High School, Blu attended both Oklahoma State University and Kansas State
University, ultimately earning his B.S. (1962) and M.S. (1964) in agricultural economics from OSU.

Blu devoted his career to public service through the USDA Farmers Home Administration, leading economic development programs across Oklahoma. His work took him to Pawhuska, Perry, and Stillwater before the family settled in Duncan in 1973, where he served as Area Director for Southern Oklahoma. His proudest professional role came just before retirement in 1997, when he served as a statewide liaison to Native American tribes.

Faith, family, and travel were the guiding passions of Blu's life. He was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church, Duncan, for more than five decades, where he served in many leadership roles and was especially committed to mission work. He participated in mission trips to San Marcos, Texas, as well as to Mexico and Honduras, and supported local charities including Christians Concerned and the Duncan Food Pantry. A cherished memory was traveling with his mother on a pilgrimage to Egypt and the Holy Land.

On August 29, 1965, Blu married Sandra Jeanne Love, and together they shared nearly 60 years of love and adventure. The couple visited almost every U.S. state, returning to Hawaii five times and making frequent trips to the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado.

Blu is preceded in death by his parents, Bluford W. Miller Jr. and Zenda Alfred Miller; his in-laws, Frank Love Jr. and Gladys Bond Love; and his daughter-in-law, Kelly Villareal Miller.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Sandra Jeanne Miller of the home; his children: Richard and Niki Miller of Owasso, OK, Steven and Jennifer Miller of Austin, TX, and Tim and Nancy Ormand of Simpsonville, SC; grandchildren: Braxton and Cassie Kee of Longmont, CO, and their children, Olivia and Grayson; Danielle Miller of Austin, TX; Beau and Savannah Godfrey of Augusta, GA, and their son, Callahan; and Johnathan and Sarah Grace Martinez of Piedmont, SC. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Monnie and Fran Miller of Perkins, OK, along with their children and grandchildren.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the First United Methodist Church Blessing Box or the Oklahoma United Methodist Indian Missionary Conference through FUMC Duncan.

Online condolences may be made at www.whittfh.com.