Supporting Gov. Miller's Funeral An Honor, Forsyth Deputies Say

CUMMING, GA — The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said they were honored to participate in the escort of former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller, who died this week at the age of 86. Forsyth deputies were also part of his final motorcade back to McDonald and Son Funeral Home in Cumming Wednesday.

"Thank you Governor for all you have done for the great state of Georgia and our country. Rest in peace sir," Sheriff's Office deputies shared on their Facebook page Thursday.

Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies assisted the Georgia State Patrol, blocking intersections and making sure the former governor had safe passage from one location to another throughout the week, as he was available for public viewing. Forsyth deputies also provided support for the GSP honor guard.

Miller was recognized at the governor's mansion on Tuesday and then Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and the State Capital on Wednesday, before being taking to his final resting place at McDonald and Son Funeral Home. There, he was given a 21-gun salute and his memorial flag was presented to his wife, Shirley.

"We were humbled and proud to be part of the procession for Zell Miller throughout the week," Forsyth Chief Deputy Grady Sanford told Patch. "It was an honor to be a part of paying tribute to this great man and citizen of this great state."

Miller's legacy as governor includes the creation of the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship and Georgia's voluntary pre-kindergarten program. Today, more than 1.8 million students have gone to college in Georgia on HOPE Scholarships and more than 1.6 million 4-year olds have begun their education through Georgia's Pre-K program.

Miller served as mayor of Young Harris, in the Blue Ridge mountains near the North Carolina state line. He would go on to serve in the Georgia State Senate from 1961-64 and as lieutenant governor from 1975-91 — making him the longest-serving lieutenant governor in Georgia history.

From 1991-99 he served as Georgia's 79th governor. He was called out of retirement in 2000 when Gov. Roy Barnes appointed him to serve in the U.S. Senate after the death of Sen. Paul Coverdell. He easily won a special election to keep the seat and served in Washington until 2005.

A lifelong Democrat, Miller represented the traditionally conservative "Yellow Dog" wing of the party that prevailed in Georgia and much of the South into the 1990s. While remaining loyal to the party, Miller supported Republican President George W. Bush in the 2004 election and was a keynote speaker at that year's Republican National Convention.

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Patch Editor Doug Gross contributed to this article.

Photos courtesy Forsyth County Sheriff's Office