Credit: Centre Square Fire Company.
Whitpain Township will celebrate a day of remembrance and community at the 1st Annual Chief Lee Miller 5K & Festival and Kid’s Fun Run, honoring a beloved leader and dedicated public servant.
The 1st Annual Chief Lee Miller 5K & Festival and Kid’s Fun Run, held at Centre Square Fire Company, 1298 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, will be held on Sunday, Aug. 10.
This special event is dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Chief Lee Miller, who served not only as the chief of Centre Square Fire Company, but also as a cornerstone of the Whitpain Township community. All proceeds from the event will be donated directly back to CSFC in his memory.
Race day begins with a pre-race stretch at 8:45 a.m., led by a coach from Burn Bootcamp, so be sure to arrive early and get warmed up. After the race, all participants, friends, and families are invited to stay and enjoy a lively festival featuring food trucks, a beer garden, fire truck tours, and a variety of fun activities for all ages.
Packet pick-up will take place on Saturday, August 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and again on Sunday morning, August 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., both at Centre Square Fire Company.
Vendors at the event will include Tannery Run, Fruits of Our Labor, and many others.
Miller, who was fire chief for 16 years, died on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022 at the age of 60 years old.
“He was a people person. Everybody knew him,” said Ted Fornash, a captain and president of Centre Square Fire Company.
“You always had a good conversation with him. Just genuinely a joy to be around,” said Deputy Chief Billy Messerschmidt. “He liked talking shop, talking the fire service, because that was his life for years.”
Miller’s Love for Family, Public Service
Born on August 5, 1962 in Plymouth Township to Nelson and Dorothy, both deceased, Miller found his love of fighting fires at a young age. He was 16 years old when he joined the Plymouth Meeting-based Harmonville Fire Company.
Miller called several places in Montgomery County home, but he eventually made his way to Whitpain Township. He started with the township in 1982 in the public works department. He met his wife, Sue, of Blue Bell, while plowing the roads during the winter when he’d stop into the former 7-Eleven in Blue Bell. According to his daughter, Courtney Clemmer, “they kind of just hit it off.”
Miller held the positions of lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, and deputy chief, before being elected fire chief in 2006. He was sworn in in 2007. Centre Square Fire Company has around 30 volunteers and three career firefighters.
“The members and the firemen underneath you rally around their leader, and they rallied around Lee,” Fornash said.
Fellow firefighters stressed the impact Miller had on their own lives.
“He is the reason that I’m here today,” Deputy Chief Billy Messerschmidt said. “He welcomed me with open arms as a firefighter … in October 2006 right before he became chief. He gave me a shot at being a lieutenant, took a chance on me, and my firefighting career kind of escalated from there. (Un)til the end, (he) was still giving us sound guidance, suggestions, just that mentorship really.”
‘He was Mr. Whitpain Township’
“He really enjoyed being the person that everybody could turn to, that he could help in any way he could,” Clemmer said of her father’s public service.
Miller had a passion for the place he called home. “He bled Whitpain,” she said.
Whether it was a luncheon, a school outing, a fire expo, or presenting a program to children, it was all about community for Miller.
“He lived for Whitpain Township,” Fornash said. “He was Mr. Whitpain Township, and community events, and calls and emergencies he was there. His guys respond because they know Lee would want them to respond.”
At the firehouse, Chief Miller would mentor the younger firefighters, oversee training and recruiting efforts, as well as act as the liaison with the township to secure funding for needed resources.
“His one goal was always to have everyone on one team. No clique, just everyone together,” Barnshaw said.
Another notable accomplishment was his championing of the new $4.5 million fire station that opened in 2017.
When Miller wasn’t fighting fires or working at the township, he enjoyed being outdoors. Camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time on his boat were some of his favorite outdoor activities. Miller loved spending time with his family, especially his grandson, Bodhi, who wants to be a firefighter. Clemmer said Bodhi most enjoyed spending time with his “Grumpy.”
In the days following Miller’s passing, neighboring fire companies and area residents have shared memories and offered condolences on social media.
