Former Mayor Dave Miller, who died Sunday at Elkhart General Hospital after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19, was remembered by friends and former colleagues as a warm man who always sought to do what he thought was right for the city, his family and God. He was 62.
Miller served as mayor of Elkhart from 2000 through 2007 and, after a break from the public eye, ran for a third term in 2019. Before becoming mayor, Miller served on the City Council from 1995 through 1999. Miller leaves behind his wife, Connie, and three daughters.
“He was an awesome person” said the Rev. Jean Mayes, a friend who also served on the Board of Public Safety during both of Miller’s terms. “He loved this city with a passion.”
Among key accomplishments in Miller’s administration were getting railroad underpasses and overpasses at Indiana Avenue and at Prairie Street, getting the Lerner Theatre renovation underway, building the RiverWalk and the NIBCO Water & Ice Park, and bringing IUSB to Elkhart. He was also a strong supporter of the creation of Wellfield Botanic Gardens.
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