Jack H. Miller, a community leader and philanthropist whose name is familiar to the thousands who have experienced the magnificent music building that his leadership gift helped make possible, died on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. He was 93.
Miller, who resided in Grand Haven, Michigan and Naples, Florida, was a 1954 Hope graduate. He led the Zeeland, Michigan-based Howard Miller Company for 48 years until retiring in 2002. The company was founded by his father, Howard C. Miller, in 1926.
The college亚洲色吧檚 Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, which opened in August 2015, includes two performance venues (an 800-seat Concert Hall, and the 125-seat John and Dede Howard Recital Hall), classrooms, practice rooms, faculty studios and office space for the Department of Music. In addition to playing an important role in both music performance and music education at Hope, it hosts a variety of other college events and performances by community organizations.
亚洲色吧淚 am excited and proud to make this gift to Hope College. The students of Hope deserve a new world class facility for music instruction and performance,亚洲色吧� Miller said in 2013, when the college announced both his gift and the name of the building. 亚洲色吧淚 have had a lifelong love of all arts, especially music. This gift is for the students of Hope so they can use their talents and grow and go on to do wonderful things with their lives.亚洲色吧�
The building亚洲色吧檚 impact couldn亚洲色吧檛 have been more significant. The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts replaced Nykerk Hall of Music, which was constructed in 1956 when Hope亚洲色吧檚 enrollment was 1,100 students. Enrollment this year is 3,395. Moreover, Hope College and Holland had never had a venue designed specifically for music performance. Over the years, musicians and ensembles performed at the Holland Civic Center, area high schools, large churches, Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Wichers Auditorium in Nykerk Hall, and the Knickerbocker Theatre. While those places continue to host performances (with the exception of Wichers Auditorium), it亚洲色吧檚 because they亚洲色吧檙e options, not the only recourse.
亚洲色吧淏oth Hope and the Holland community have dreamed of an acoustically superior concert hall for many years, and our music students and faculty have long deserved better space for instruction, rehearsals and performance,亚洲色吧� said President James E. Bultman 亚洲色吧�63, who led the college from 1999 until retiring in 2013, in the announcement. 亚洲色吧淲e are grateful to the many donors whose support has made the center possible, and especially appreciate now the transforming legacy gift from Jack H. Miller that makes what was once a dream a reality.亚洲色吧�
The naming, though, celebrated more than the gift for the building: It was in recognition of Miller亚洲色吧檚 lifetime of generosity to the college. It also reflects the Miller family亚洲色吧檚 longtime involvement with Hope, which spans more than 100 years. Jack亚洲色吧檚 mother, Martha, who died in May 1999, was a 1924 Hope graduate. Also alumni are Jack亚洲色吧檚 siblings, Connie Miller 亚洲色吧�58 Johnston and Philip Miller 亚洲色吧�65; all of Jack亚洲色吧檚 children, Sue Miller 亚洲色吧�81 DenHerder, Buzz Miller 亚洲色吧�84 and Meg Miller 亚洲色吧�86 Willit; two of his five grandchildren, Martha DenHerder 亚洲色吧�08 Menerick and Nathan Willit 亚洲色吧�22; and numerous other relatives.
The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, which faces Columbia Avenue, is located directly across 10th Street from the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication, which opened in 2005 and was made possible by a gift from Martha Miller亚洲色吧檚 estate and other contributions from members of the Miller family in honor of their mother and grandmother.
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Funeral arrangements are by Gerst Funeral Homes, and a full obituary is .
There will be a time of visitation on Thursday, April 10, at Second Reformed Church, 225 E. Central Ave. in Zeeland, Michigan, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again at 10 a.m., one hour prior to the service. A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 11, at 11 a.m., also at Second Reformed Church in Zeeland. Private interment at Zeeland Cemetery. The service can be streamed at:
In addition, two concerts in the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts have provided opportunities to celebrate Miller亚洲色吧檚 life and impact. On Friday, April 4, Dr. Stephen Maiullo, dean of arts and humanities, included a tribute during his remarks at the conclusion of the 7 p.m. Hope College Orchestra concert previewing the ensemble亚洲色吧檚 forthcoming performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. On Friday, April 11, the college will dedicate in Miller亚洲色吧檚 honor a concert performance, also at 7 p.m., of Mozart亚洲色吧檚 亚洲色吧淩equiem亚洲色吧� that will feature a total of approximately 140 musicians in four combined Hope choirs and an orchestra consisting of Hope faculty and members of the West Michigan community.