Judge Fred B. Miller, 54, who was elected to the county’s judicial bench a year ago, remained on the job through late August, when he started what turned into a leave for health reasons.

Those close to Miller said Monday that the judge, during his leave, was diagnosed with cancer throughout his body, as revealed after surgery to address a broken femur. Until that diagnosis, they said Miller was reported to have had pain, but no knowledge of his condition.

The judge died at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he had been under care for a couple of weeks, after being transferred there from a hospital in Hershey. Funeral plans were described as under development.

President Judge Wade A. Kagarise issued a statement early Monday on behalf of himself and fellow judges Jackie Bernard and David B. Consiglio, in addition to senior judges, magisterial district judges and county employees.

Blair County Judge Fred Miller takes his oath of office from Senior Judge Daniel J. Milliron (right) while accompanied by his wife, Tracy Miller, and son, Grant Miller, in Courtroom No. 1 at the courthouse on Dec. 29, 2023. Mirror file photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our colleague and friend, the Honorable Judge Fred B. Miller,” Kagarise said. “We express our sincere condolences to his wife, Tracy, son, Grant, his entire family, and the many members of the community who loved and respected him.”

Kagarise said that he became aware of the seriousness of Miller’s condition as his leave was extended. The president judge said he last spoke to Miller a couple of weeks ago.

“I think he was handling the illness he had with a lot of courage,” Kagarise said. “And as Judge Miller did with many things, I think he handled this thinking about his family and how to be supportive of them … with no playbook on how it was going to go.”

Chris Forshey of Bellwood said Monday that when he last spoke to Miller on Oct. 15, the judge wanted an update on Forshey’s father, who has been recuperating from a liver transplant.

“I think that’s a testament to the kind of person Fred was,” Forshey said. “He seemed to only care about my dad. And behind the scenes, he was battling his own serious health problems.”

In 2023, Forshey managed Miller’s campaign for the county judicial seat, a quest that Forshey said Miller pursued with an eye on winning not only for himself, but for others.

“He would say ‘This campaign is for everybody’ … because he never aligned with anybody,” Forshey said. “He just wanted to do the job and do it right.”

Miller, a Tyrone native who graduated from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, became the magisterial district judge for northern Blair County in 2002 when he was appointed to fill the vacant seat. Prior to the appointment, Miller was practicing law and serving as a law clerk.

Then after the appointment, Miller was elected and repeatedly re-elected to retain the district judicial post.

While Miller ran unsuccessfully in 2013 for a county judicial seat, his 2023 campaign was a winner. In the 2023 primary, he secured nominations from both the Republican and Democratic voters who had three candidates to choose from. He also topped the Republican ticket.

When campaigning for office, Miller emphasized his proven track record as a district judge, as well as his longtime dedication to several community organizations. They included overseeing a soccer program with 300-plus players and the Reliance Bank Holiday Basketball Tournament for 10-plus years. He was also involved with the county’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Northern Blair Recreation Commission, the Northern Blair County Kiwanis and the Jaffa Shrine.

“I think he was a real dedicated public servant,” Kagarise said. “The way he connected with people he knew was a real tribute to his sense of community, his family and the broad support he received from his area. That was something I respected and admired about him.”

In light of Miller’s death, his workload and his court cases will continue to be shared among Kagarise, Bernard and Consiglio, as well as senior judges from Blair and other counties.

While Blair County typically has five full-time judges, it has had a vacancy since January because the governor’s office and the Senate never named anyone to succeed former Judge Elizabeth Doyle, who lost her bid for retention in November 2023.

It’s been almost four decades since Blair County had a judge who died while holding office. In 1987, then-Judge Bertram Leopold, 47, died of a heart attack after an early morning swim at a local fitness center.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.