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Harold “Hal” Lister Miller, who shaped Falls Church through two decades of service as City Council member, mayor and Commissioner of the Revenue, died peacefully July 15 at Spring Arbor of Fredericksburg. He was 96.
Miller moved to Falls Church in 1964 with his wife, Ruth Marye Wall, whom he had married in 1955. They raised six children and operated a home-based lumber brokerage for 30 years.
Elected to City Council in 1971, Miller was unanimously chosen by fellow council members to serve as mayor in 1974. His first official act set the tone for his tenure: he helped launch the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Bike Trail through Falls Church, cutting the ribbon September 7, 1974, for the initial 1.5-mile section.
During his three terms as mayor through 1980, Miller worked with the Falls Church Community Services Council to persuade Winter Hill’s owners to reserve 80 one-bedroom units as federally funded senior housing—a legacy that continues to serve older residents today.
Beyond the city, Miller joined the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments board in 1975, becoming chairman in 1977. That same year, he received the Society of American Military Engineers’ Civil Defense Award for his work on regional emergency-disaster planning.
In 1980, Miller sought the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, losing the primary to Frank Wolf, with whom he later became friends.
After leaving elective office, Miller served as Falls Church Commissioner of the Revenue from 1989 to 2001, spanning three terms. In that role, he modernized the office’s computer system and established a process integrating the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Department of Taxation to accelerate tax refunds.
Miller’s civic engagement extended to faith and youth services. In 1971, he helped start the Community of God’s Love Prayer Group at St. James Catholic Church, serving later as a Eucharistic minister. During the 1980s, he served on the committee that located property for Aurora House, a Falls Church home for at-risk teenage girls.
Before his public service, Miller enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1949, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He served until 1952, including 14 months in the Korean War and service at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. His military decorations included the Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Service Star, the Marine Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars and United Nations Service Medal.
Miller was survived by six children, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His wife, Ruth, and granddaughter Mary Miller predeceased him.
A visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. and a memorial service for 11 a.m. on August 11 at St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church in Fairfax Station, with burial at Fairfax Memorial Park with military honors.