We are sad to announce that Frank Hovorka Professor of Chemistry Barry Miller passed away on February 7, 2025 at the age of 92. Dr. Miller first began his academic career as an Instructor of Chemistry at Harvard University in 1959 and eventually became Professor of Chemistry in 1993 at Case Western Reserve University. In 2000, he became Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and was actively engaged with the department.

Dr. Miller’s full obituary can be read below.

Barry Miller passed away on February 7, 2025 in Cleveland, OH.  Barry was born in Passaic, NJ to Belle and Herman Miller on January 22, 1933 and attended Passaic High School.  

He is a graduate of Princeton University A.B. summa cum laude in 1955 and received his  Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1959. Professionally he has been an Instructor in Chemistry at Harvard University (1959-1962), Member of the Technical Staff of AT&T Bell laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (1962-1993), Frank Hovorka Professor of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (1993-2000) and has held the latter title as emeritus professor since retirement in 2000.

Barry served as President of the Electrochemical Society, Inc. (ECS) in 1997-1998 and as Editor of The Journal of the Electrochemical Society 1990-1995.  He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of ECS in 1987-1989 and 1994-1998, Chairman of the Physical Electrochemistry Division in 1987-1989, a member of many committees, and co-organizer of various symposia in the ECS, notably among them the first Symposium on Fullerenes: Physics, Chemistry, and New Directions (1991)and the initial Symposia on High Temperature Superconductors (1988-1989).  Outside of ECS he has served as President of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry, Chairman of the Gordon Conference on Electrochemistry, Associate Member of the IUPAC Commission of Electrochemistry, and as National Secretary of the International Society of Electrochemistry.  Additionally, he has been a member of U.S. Government Panels including the Panel on the US Advanced Battery Consortium of the National Research Council and the Cold Fusion Panel of the Department of Energy.

Some of his professional recognition includes the David C. Grahame Award in Physical Electrochemistry from the ECS Division (1991), Fellow of the Electrochemical Society (1992). Charles N. Reilley Award from the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry 1994), Honorary Member of the ECS (1999), and the Ernest B. Yeager Award of the Cleveland Section of the ECS (2004), and 2018 Edward Goodrich Acheson Award from ECS.

He met his wife Sandra of 59 years, who was an Executive Chef, Cooking Teacher, and Caterer, at the Lake Tarleton Club in Pike, NH in 1964 and married at the Chanticler in Millburn, NJ on August 22, 1965.  

Barry is survived by his wife Sandra, his two sons; Jeff and David, daughters-in-law Amy and Michelle, and five grandchildren; Skyler, Riley, Maddie, Jason, and Kyle.  Some of his fondest memories were white water rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and traveling the world.