Basil Miner, 84, passed away, Tuesday November 24, 2020, at a Green Bay hospital.
Basil Miner was born in Midland, MI to Basil G. Miner and Neomi (Comstock) Miner. The family moved to Sturgeon Bay, WI when Basil was a young child. At age six he relocated to Green Bay, WI where he spent the rest of his life. Basil worked at Brown County ARC from 1977-2007. He also worked for a time at Curative Workshop. He participated in the Citizen Advocacy program for many years.
Basil was a blessing to all who knew him. He was developmentally challenged and lived in group homes his entire adult life. That did not stop him from making friends all around the community. He would say “Hi, how are you?” to everyone he saw, often never waiting for an answer before moving on. It seemed like everybody knew Basil as he traveled around town on his bike. Basil liked to dance, bowl, paint, build bird houses, play darts and cheer for the Green Bay Packers. Any rummage sales were an automatic stop for him. He enjoyed frequenting the local west side restaurants like Perkins and McDonalds.
Volunteering in the community was important to Basil. His passion was volunteering for the Salvation Army at the retail thrift store and as a bell ringer during the holidays. Each Halloween he would dress up in full costume and greet customers at the thrift store entrance. He also volunteered at the National Railroad Museum. Basil was featured on local TV segment that highlighted his volunteer accomplishments over the years.
Basil was an integral part of the Spiegelhoff family for his entire life. He was a lifelong friend of Mark Spiegelhoff. Nancy Spiegelhoff served as his advocate and guardian for many years. Basil was a fixture at Spiegelhoff family holiday gatherings and religious celebrations. He truly was part of the family.
Other significant friends in his life included Anne Gauthier and Austin Rockstroh.
The world is minus a very precious jewel and heaven has gained one.
A celebration of life will be held at Malcore (West) Funeral Home, 1530 W. Mason Street in Green Bay on Friday, December 4. Visitation will be from 2:00 – 3:00 pm, with a brief memorial service starting at 3:00 pm. Burial will take place at Fort Howard Cemetery.
“There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more.” – Robert M. Hensel