M.T. Miller, Penn Charter devotee

Matthew T. Miller, 39, of Chestnut Hill, a development officer at William Penn Charter School, died of complications from brain surgery Thursday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor just days before, his brother Peter said.

Mr. Miller attended Penn Charter, a private school in East Falls, from kindergarten through high school. He was president of his senior class and spoke at his graduation in 1986. He played soccer and lacrosse at Penn Charter and also played lacrosse at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., where he majored in biology.

After graduating from Trinity, he was a manager of Superfund sites for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Conshohocken. While working for the state, he coached lacrosse at Penn Charter and met the school's fourth-grade teacher, Rebecca Tate. They married in 1995.

Since joining the school's development office in 2000, Mr. Miller had created PCOnline, an interactive Web site for alumni; established Penn Charter's involvement with the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, which generated more than $300,000 for the school's scholarship fund; and helped organize a memorial scholarship for Kenny Caldwell, a 1989 graduate who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

A week before his death he was in his office planning the kickball tournament and picnic for a scholarship fund-raiser, which was held at the school Saturday.

"He was the heart and soul of the development office," said Jack Rogers, Penn Charter's chief development officer.

Mr. Miller was a youth leader at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill. He had organized trips to Scotland for young members of the church and planned to travel with a group to France this summer.

He enjoyed home-improvement projects and spending time at his family's home in Avalon. He was devoted to his wife and children, his brother said.

Mr. Miller's organs were donated. He always wanted to help others, his brother said, and had signed a donor card.

In addition to his wife and brother, Mr. Miller is survived by his sons, Wallace Tate and Morgan; his parents, Betty and Wallace Miller; another brother, Wallace Jr.; and a sister, Kimberly Fogarty.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. tomorrow at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Willow Grove Avenue at St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia.

Donations may be made to the Matthew T. Miller Scholarship Fund, William Penn Charter School, 3000 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia 19144.