Matthew Miller

Staff Sgt. Matthew Norris Miller, 34 of Fort Bragg, Fayettville, NC, passed away, Friday February 4, 2011 at his residence. Services will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, February 7, 2011 at the Speaks Suburban Chapel 18020 E. 39th Street, Independence, MO 64055. Burial with full Military honors will follow in Mound Grove Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 6 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday evening at the chapel. Donations may be made in his name to the ASPCA, 4325 Moats Dr. Kansas City, MO 64133. Matthew was born November 7, 1976 in Elmhurst, IL to Lee and Stephanie (Hopkins) Miller. He moved to the Independence area graduated from the Eastern Jackson County Alternative School in 1995. He was very musical and enjoyed playing numerous instruments and riding motorcycles. He was a people person who was very respected by his friends and associates. Matthew was a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew chief and administrative non-commissioned officer with Company C, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade. He joined the military in November 2001 and trained at Fort Sill, OK, and Fort Eustis, VA He was stationed at Fort Bragg in 2003 and went to Fort Stewart, Ga., before returning to Fort Bragg to serve with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He most recently deployed to Afghanistan from March 2009 to April 2010. His awards and decorations include the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the Iraq Campaign medal with campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Aviation Badge. He was married to Angela (Wheeler) and was later divorced. He is survived by his mother, Stephanie Russell, of Independence, MO; his father, Lee Miller, of Cedar Crest, NM; and his sister, Rachel Lee Crozier and her husband Jeremy, of Grain Valley, MO; a half brother, Brian Winski of California; 3 nieces, Brianna, Jadalyn and Morgan Crozier; grandparents, Earl and Betty Hopkins of Independence, MO and Betty Miller of Orange, TX and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Keith Miller of Orange, TX.