Obituary - Jeffrey Allen Milam

Jeffrey Allen Milam died at his home in Loveland, Ohio, the morning of July 28th, 2023.

He was born September 17th, 1962, to parents Don and Joan Milam in Havre, Montana. After graduation from Havre High School in 1980, Jeff went on to study mechanical engineering at Montana State University.

Immediately upon graduation, he began an extended relationship with The Boeing Company. While in northwest Washington state he completed an MBA at Seattle Pacific University. After 14 years with Boeing, he was recruited to GE Aerospace which entailed a move to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he met his wife, Charlotte Kemp. After a nearly two-decade tenure at GE, and with an established reputation in the aerospace industry, Jeff received numerous consulting opportunities that included a residency in San Antonio, Texas, and a major project in Derby, England.

Jeff was a kinetic and memorable individual. His easy banter and warm personality drew people to him. His broad interests made him a compelling conversationalist and a valued resource for friends and colleagues. He loved people and animals alike, particularly his beloved dogs, of which there were a few; always a rescue pup in need of a loving and restorative home which he and Char gladly provided. They shared endless patience as they won the confidence and calm of a challenged newcomer.

In his Montana youth, he spent hours in the family greenhouse, where he developed a love for the genesis of plant and flower life, in particular sunflowers. He could grow and nurture anything back to life. His lawn and gardens were a sight to behold, the envy of the neighborhood. He was a master gardener. Not limited to the botanical, his creative spirit extended to the culinary arts and to all kinds of sports, with a particular fondness for tennis and golf, and to collegiate football and basketball.

Those who were fortunate to come to know this dear man will never forget him, for he was a force. Jeff energized every room he entered and each person he met. Being passive in his presence was impossible as engagement was expected, and a meaningful response the only possible option, like a return volley in tennis. Meaningful interaction in every encounter was typical for Jeff, so unlike the norm, and so cherished by his many friends. If you were going to be together, you were going to leave those moments thought-provoked by one deeply committed individual, not content to live life on the surface, but fully engaged with life and the living. His life is a reminder to us all to make each moment count.

He is survived by his wife, Char Kemp; brother, David Milam (Carla); sisters, Barbara Richards (Gwyn), Nancy Milam, and Julie Austin (Tom); 9 nieces and nephews; and 12 grandnieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Joan and Donald Milam; uncles Donald Peterson and Paul Milam; grandmother Esther A. Peterson; and cousin Wayne Peterson.

While a public memorial will not be held, the family suggests donations in Jeff's name to your local Alzheimer's Association and American Heart Association chapters.