Moving through the hallways of Compass Park, the greetings ring out from all directions.
Don Miller made his way through the place he’s called home for the past eight years. As other residents walked by him, or as he passed open office doors, people exchanged warm greetings with him.
Everyone at Compass Park seems to know Miller, and for good reason. The gregarious resident is active in a multitude of different activities at the home.
He regularly attends Bible study. He volunteers in the Compass Park gift shop, sings in the facility’s choir and can often be found playing piano in the lounge.
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Miller turned 104 in October. He was surrounded by family, coming together at the home of his daughter, who lives in Whiteland. They had cake and ate together, paying tribute to the longevity of the family patriarch.
For Miller, he attributes his faith and the blessings of God for reaching such a significant birthday.
"I just thank the Lord," he said. "Primarily, it’s just trying to do the best you could and be helpful to other people. I always tried to be available to someone; if I could help them, I would try."
Miller was raised on the southside of Indiananpolis, near Garfield Park. As a teenager, he found a job with the gardeners among the greenhouses that dominated the southside.
"I’d crawl around on my hands and knees, cutting lettuce and pruning tomato plants," he said.
His father worked in the steel industry, serving as a superintendent at Central States Bridge and Structural Steel Co. The company built steel infrastructure for highways and many buildings in downtown Indianapolis, including L.S. Ayres and Blocks department stores, and stands at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But as Miller grew older and graduated from Southport High School in 1933, his father advised him to take a different career path. His first job out of high school was at a savings and loan bank.
Miller met his wife, Margaret, at Edgewood United Methodist Church, which they both attended. They were married in 1937.
He worked as a salesman, with most of his career spent at L.S. Ayres downtown. He was one of the first of its employees to sell television sets at the department store. He also worked as a piano salesman for Wilking music and Riddick piano companies.
The jobs allowed him to provide for his family, while still offering him the opportunity to be home and present with his wife and children so he could see them grow up.
"Retail in the ’50s, it wasn’t that involved. Nowadays, it gets so involved, you’re a slave to the place, working night and day," he said. "Any time your kids were involved in something in school, you couldn’t go because you had to work."
Miller retired from L.S. Ayres after working there for about 25 years, but he didn’t stop working in retail. Later, he worked part time at the J.C. Penney store in Greenwood, selling electronics and furniture. He continued in that job until 2000, when he was 85, working in store maintenance.
Music is one thing that has been a constant in his life. Miller started playing instruments and singing when he was about 5 years old; his mother played piano, so he’d taken lessons.
He still plays, often sitting down and performing some of his favorite hymns or other gospel songs. He admits, though, he does so in an unorthodox way.
"My biggest problem is, if someone says, ‘Play this for me,’ to read the notes and coordinate it, I can’t do that. I can play it if I practice it for awhile, but I can’t read the music. I play by memory," he said.
For 30 years, Miller was a part of the Missionaires Quartet through Edgewood United Methodist Church, singing throughout Indiana, doing performances on TV and radio, and doing shows as far away as Chicago and Buffalo, New York. He also sang in the Scottish Rite choir for three years.
Since coming to Compass Park, he has earned quite the reputation as a talented musician. At one point, officials even set up a recording of one of his performances.
"Mostly, I just sit and play for my own amusement," he said.
Miller plans to continue being active and filling his time at Compass Park, including working in the gift shop and performing with the choir. He is lucky to have the life he’s had, and wants to take advantage of the gifts God has given him for as long as he can, he said.
"I give the good Lord credit for the chances I’ve had," he said. "I’ve certainly enjoyed my time here at the home."
