NEWPORT-A Newport businessman whose career in the insurance business spanned half a century died Friday morning.

Darius Henry Miller passed away at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital after several months of declining health. He was 82.

Miller's career as the local State Farm Insurance Agent began December 15, 1957 when he and the late W. S. Woodward, who was selling State Farm Insurance part-time, scrounged together in a tiny office and went to work.

Miller retired on December 15, 2007, fifty years to the day later.

Over the decades he established himself as one of Cocke County's most trusted businessmen.

He was born April 28, 1927, the older of twin boys born to the late Oscar and Jessie Miller. He and his brother James (J. D.) were later joined by two younger sisters, Jane, now deceased, and Lorene.

Educated first at Edgemont Elementary School and later at Cocke County High School, Miller had just celebrated his 18th birthday at the end of his junior year when he received his draft notice.

The year was 1945. Germany and Italy had just conceded defeat to the Allied forces in Europe, but war continued to rage in the Pacific.

He and J. D. reported for duty in Bainbridge, Maryland, and eventually he was sent to San Francisco where he served as a water tender on the USS Walter C. Wann and, for a short while, on a DE 367.

After Japan's surrender that August, Miller's military service quickly drew to a close and by August of 1946 he was back in Newport, where he re-enrolled in high school to finish his senior year.

"I had to sweet talk Miss Marjorie McMahan into letting me enter her speech arts class," he recalled in an interview last year.

Upon graduating from high school, he, along with Johnny Nease, Jimmy Graves, Greer Bryant, and Hollis Mason, entered Tennessee Tech, where he studied business.

Because his military service had been shortened, Miller only qualified for two years of study under the GI bill.

When he returned to his native Cocke County this time, he found a jobless situation. "The war was over and the job market was glutted," he explained. "Tech's engineering graduates couldn't find any jobs. My college advisor urged me to get into the business field, if possible."

A natural born salesman, Miller couldn't have been happier with this advice, but his search for work left him increasingly frustrated.

"I went to see Mr. Sweeten at A. C. Lawrence Leather Company," he said, who told him, "Darius, I'd give anything in the world to hire you."

Then Sweeten opened his desk drawer and withdrew a stack of cards about an inch thick. "But before I can hire you," Sweeten said, "I have to hire everyone of these people back first. But I promise to help you anyway I can."

The "people" Sweeten referred to were former Tannery employees who had been called to military duty during the war and whose union stipulations required the company to re-employ them first.

About a week later Miller received a visit from W. L. Macklin, a representative of Stewart's Potato Chip Company of Knoxville, a subsidiary of Continental Baking Company.

Macklin was looking for a salesman to cover the dozens of stores scattered throughout Cocke County then and, upon Mr. Sweeten's advice, sought out Miller.

Miller accepted Macklin's offer and quickly went to work traveling six and one-half days a week. His route took him into neighboring Greene County and across the state line as far as the Shelton Laurel community in Madison County, NC.

He worked from 4:00 a.m. until well past dark each day, staying with Stewart's for eight years.

During this time he married the former Betty Jo Winter in June of 1950 and became the father of two daughters Vera and Beth.

Even though Miller was doing extremely well in his work, he was intrigued by Mr. Woodward's offer to join him in the insurance business.

Even though he initially turned down Woodward's offer, Miller eventually accepted the position and worked with him for about a year until the elder man's retirement.

With the passage of a new law requiring Tennessee drivers to carry liability insurance, Miller found that he had entered the business at an opportune time.

The agency flourished, and the need for larger quarters led him to move the business to Gordon Robinson's new building between the McSween Bridge and the depot. They remained there until 1997 when the company moved to its present headquarters off Cosby Highway.

In reflecting over his career, Miller always credited his secretaries-Valire Ottinger, the late Mary Cody Helton, the late Blanche Moore, Cindy Miller, Susan Duckett, Julie Newman, Misty Sweeten Bonner, and Ronda Day, with being "the best secretaries possible."

Many of his new customers had come to know Miller during his days as a salesman who visited their stores and communities.

Over the years Miller received several offers to leave Newport and climb the corporate ladder. "But I always declined. My place was in Cocke County dealing with people I know and giving them a service that they needed," he said.

Funeral services for Miller were held yesterday at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be this morning in Resthaven Memorial Gardens.

Manes Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.