Rex Miller, the man who crunched the numbers through the construction of one school, the expansion of another, and years of growth in the South Whidbey School District, is leaving.
Miller, business manager for the South Whidbey School District, is retiring. In the job since September 1983, he will leave his duties at the end of March.
“I have been proud to be a part of the South Whidbey School District,” Miller said Friday. “It is a good district, and I have seen a lot of progress over the years.”
Construction of the intermediate school and the new bus garage, plus major improvements to the high school occurred during Miller’s tenure.
Miller was responsible for budget development and assisted with long range financial planning for the district.
Superintendent Martin Laster honored Miller for his accomplishments at Monday’s meeting of the South Whidbey Board of Education.
“Rex Miller has made major contributions to the district over his approximately two decades with South Whidbey Schools. We thank him for his work and wish him the best,” he said.
Miller said his position with the school district was his third career.
“I started in direct sales, then my wife and I ran the nursing home in Freeland for several years. That’s what cemented our relationship with Whidbey,” Miller said. “We met so many nice people.”
Following that position he went to work for the district.
Miller and his wife, Sonia, have been married 42 years and have three children, all who graduated from the district. They came to South Whidbey looking for a quiet life.
“We bought acreage early in 1975, and had a gentleman’s farm. We had cows, horses and chickens. It was fun for our children as they were growing up,” Miller said.
Now that his professional life is getting really quiet Miller says he doesn’t have any major plans right away.
“I don’t have any big plans to travel,” he said. “Sonia and I will stay on the the island, near our family.”
Miller has six grandchildren, two in South Whidbey schools, two in the Coupeville district and two in Everett schools.
The district is currently recruiting his replacement.
