Paul Reinhold Miller of Fort Wayne died Saturday, February 7, 2026, after a tragic fall at home.
Born July 11, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, to Franklin Roosevelt Miller and Eleanor Borgo Miller, he was the youngest of 7 children. With his mother and siblings, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1983. Eventually he landed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with his father, Frank.
Paul was a mechanic at heart and by trade. He prided himself on his ability to fix pretty much anything that had “nuts and bolts or amps and volts.” This was proven true time and again, first during his 25-year career as an exceptional automotive service technician with a loyal customer base primarily served at his own shop, Miller Automotive (“Where honest mechanic is not an oxymoron”). Most recently, he served as a multi-craft industrial maintenance technician at Omnisource.
Paul was also an artist. In his younger years, he was a poet and songwriter. He loved all sorts of music, especially ELO and Pearl Jam, as well as many local Fort Wayne bands. He played guitar and enjoyed recording and mixing as well. Occasionally he dabbled in painting, glassblowing, and woodworking. This man of many hobbies also enjoyed shooting pool. He was part of a league for many years out of Sidepocket, then Corner Pocket Pub. He and his best buddies Chris, Greg, and Mark – “The boys,” – loved playing cards, especially “Pitch,” any time they got the chance. Paul loved dogs and tolerated cats. He liked snakes and tried his hand at breeding exotic morphs of ball pythons, then redtail boa constrictors, with varying degrees of success. He enjoyed gardening and loved making homemade pasta sauce from ingredients he had grown. The best part was inviting over a houseful of people to eat, drink, and be merry at “Pasta Night.” He was a great cook. Recently he had grown passionate about beekeeping and established a few successful colonies over the past year.
Paul met his wife Kara (née Kattau) in 2000. They married in May of 2004 and have raised four amazing humans together. Although he sometimes struggled to express his feelings in ways his family could understand, he loved them fiercely. His determination to provide for their needs and their future was evident and successful. Paul and Kara recently purchased an old farmhouse in the country, their longtime dream, and were in the process of fixing it up. She will carry that dream forward on her own now, with the help of their children, along with family and friends. This cherished group will forever be welcome to come hang out, have a meal, watch sunsets, and tell stories around the fire about this handsome, enigmatic man and his beautiful, complicated life. He was a devoted son; a great kid brother; a faithful, loving husband and father; a knowledgeable and talented coworker; and a helpful, caring, loyal friend. “Pauly” will be greatly missed by so many.
He was preceded in death by his father, Frank, and his oldest brother, Robert. He is survived by his mother, Eleanor; his brothers, Thomas (Debi), David, and Jonathan (Tammy) Miller; sisters Naomi (Raymond) Severt and Natalie (Jeff) Langley; many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Most of all he will be missed by his wife Kara, and their children: stepdaughter Kady (Ben) Beers, sons Gabriel and Charlie, and daughter Elsie Delilah; grandson Xavier, and another grandchild on the way, who will get to know Paul through the stories shared by those who loved him.
Services will be held at their church home, Pathway Community Church, 1010 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the family has attended for many years, on Saturday, February 21 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior, and visitation Friday, February 20, 3 to 7 p.m. at Fairhaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 6557 N Clinton St, Fort Wayne. Pastor Ron Williams will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Humane Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Pitbull Coalition, the Fort Wayne chapter of Food Not Bombs (https://ko-fi.com/foodnotbombsfortwayne), or Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehab in Fort Wayne.
Goodnight, Paul. All those who love you pray you rest well.