Obituaries

Rodney Theodore MillerNavy Veteran, Drug Researcher

Rodney Theodore Miller, 82, a Navy veteran who later worked for drug manufacturers, died July 4 at his home in Rockville. He had Parkinson's disease.

Mr. Miller was born in Meadville, Pa., and joined the Navy in World War II. He survived the grounding and abandonment of his ship near Okinawa, Japan, in 1945. He served 20 years in the Navy as a chief hospital medic, retiring in 1962 as an X-ray instructor at what is now the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda.

He then worked with Flow General Inc. and later McKesson BioServices in Rockville, assisting with the development of medications in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute. He retired in 1998.

Mr. Miller collected stamps and coins and was an avid reader.

Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Marcella Miller of Rockville; five children, Robert Miller of Folly Beach, S.C., Rodney Miller Jr. of Ijamsville, Barbara Dillon of Jefferson, Cathy Miller of Rockville and Thomas Gannon-Miller of Charles Town, W.Va.; one brother; two sisters; 12 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

-- Matt Schudel

Laimons EglitisArtist, Professor

Laimons Eglitis, 77, an artist who taught at the Catonsville campus of the Community College of Baltimore County and at the Maryland Institute College of Art, died July 8 of cancer at his home in Catonsville.

Mr. Eglitis was born in Latvia and immigrated to Philadelphia in his youth. He was a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia and received a master's degree in art from Temple in 1971.

He worked as an engineer for Link-Belt, a construction equipment manufacturer, for many years at a plant outside Philadelphia.

In 1971, Mr. Eglitis moved to Catonsville and taught at the community college and art institute until he was almost 70.