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| David C. Miller |
Miller, editor of the Sentinel-Tribune since 1980, died Saturday in York, Pa., after he became ill while on vacation.
Miller, 66, believed that good journalism did more than inform or entertain. If done properly, journalism could better the community it covered. The stories could point out wrongs or injustices and challenge a community to do better. They could identify holes in the safety nets, and encourage those able to patch them.
But Miller took this commitment far beyond the printed page. He was a long-time advocate and board member for those less fortunate - those with developmental disabilities, mental health issues, drug or alcohol addictions, and victims of domestic violence.
He made a difference - in print and in person.
"There is no question Dave was one of the most important community leaders Wood County has seen in the past half-century," said State Senator Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green. "From agriculture, to libraries, to persons with developmental disabilities, and in so many other ways, Dave Miller was a difference maker in Wood County and Ohio."
Bowling Green Mayor Dick Edwards said one of the last projects he worked on with Miller was the "Community Reads" program.
"He was a rare breed of journalist," Edwards said. "He was always thinking of the common good of the larger community, especially any people who needed 'a voice' to tell their story and to express their needs."
As editor of the Sentinel-Tribune, Miller mentored many young reporters as they started their careers. In his newsroom, many novice journalists learned about reporting, writing and responsibility to the community they covered.