‘It’s his compassion I will remember.’ James Fox Miller, former Florida Bar president, dies at 84
James Fox Miller, former president of the Florida Bar, longtime family law practitioner and articulate chronicler of his personal, sports and political views, died this week while in Europe with his wife, his family announced on social media.
“The world was not good enough for James Fox Miller,” family members wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook page and on his personal blog. “The best lawyer, best dad, best grandpa, best friend and the best husband of 63 years. We are devastated and miss you already.”
Miller, 84, was married to Barbara Miller, a longtime Broward political consultant who was with him last weekend in Frankfurt, Germany, watching the Miami Dolphins play against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was at the game, evidently, that Miller had a fall he posted about the following day, when he and his wife returned to the home they own in Florence, Italy.
According to Miller’s blog, he and his wife spent five months a year in Florence and the rest at their primary home in Hallandale Beach.
Born in New Jersey in 1939, Miller earned his law degree from Northwestern University. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1966, and later became certified in the practice of family and marital law. He was a longtime partner at the Boies Schiller Flexner firm in Hollywood, and served as president of the Florida Bar from 1990 to 1991.
In Broward he was known as an avid sports fan and political junkie. He was a former board member of the United Way of Broward County and a former president of Temple Beth El in Hollywood.
Out of devotion to his second home, he founded the American Friends of Florence Music to promote the city’s musical heritage in 2017.
“They will tell you he was a very tough litigator,” said former Broward Circuit Judge Tom Lynch. “But I remember him coming to me to tell me that in the family division, most people could not afford appeals, so I should do my best to get it right for them the first time, because people would have to live with my decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s his compassion I will remember.”
Criminal defense lawyer Larry Davis called Miller’s passing a “tremendous loss” for the legal community. “I don’t think anybody can live a more full life than James Fox Miller lived,” he said.
Through his blog and social media pages, Miller weighed in on any topic that caught his attention, from national and international politics (he was very much a liberal, a supporter of Israel and Ukraine) to music and sports. His last photo with his wife was taken at last Sunday’s Dolphins game.
His most recent posts all had the same signature ending.
“See you tomorrow,” he wrote. “At least that is my plan. Go Ukraine. Go Israel.”
Along with his wife, Miller is survived by sons Charles and Steven and daughter Beth, along with seven grandchildren. Efforts to contact his immediate family, who are currently in Europe, were unsuccessful Friday.
Information about memorial services was not available.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
