Billy Miles

Billy Joe Miles, 78, of Owensboro, Kentucky passed away March 13, 2018. He was born on December 4, 1939 in Daviess County, Kentucky, the son of the late William S. and Virginia Wells Miles. He was a member of Panther Creek Baptist Church. He received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He was a businessman, farmer and a community leader.

He was the former owner of Miles Farm Supply, LLC., owner of Miles Enterprises, LLC, Miles LP Gas, Inc., Miles Farms, LLC (Trustee), and former owner of Marathon Fuels with six convenient stores and three express lubes. He was also a developer and former partner/owner of TNT, Inc. which performs truck and tractor pulls on ESPN, (seen in 44 million households). TNT had three television series on 65% of the U.S. market: ESPN, TNN (Nashville Network) and a syndicated show - Tuff Tracks. He was involved in Exhibition Marketing and Management doing trade shows and marketing trade shows in Russia. (A Trade show that exhibited in the Jacob Javits Center in New York attended by Mikhail Gorbachev.), and involved with Kentucky Bio Processing LLC - Owensboro, Kentucky. He was a partner in starting the Kentucky Farm Machinery Championship Truck & Tractor Pull in Louisville, KY and responsible, along with Donnie Bittel, for developing The Summit Family Golf community.

He served as Chairman of the Board of Owensboro Medical Health System, a member of the Development Committee at Cardiovascular Innovation Institution, a Brown Cancer Center Board Member, on the Board of Trustees - University of Kentucky 1995-2015; UK Chairman 1999-2002, board member of Gowan Corporation-Yuma, Arizona, board member of Kentucky Agriculture & Environment in the Classroom 1996-2003, served as Director of the National Fertilizer Association Executive Committee, Director of the Kentucky Environmental Protective Association in the Classroom, President of Kentucky Fertilizer and Agricultural Chemical Association, President of Kentucky Soil Conservation Districts, Secretary of Kentucky Natures Preserves, Secretary of Kentucky Soybean Association, Director of U.S. Canola Association, Washington D.C., a Member of Governor's Task Force on Agriculture, a member of Governor's Task Force on Efficiency, served as a Board Member of the US Canola Association, a Director of Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, TN, a Chairman of the National Fertilizer Association (TFI), President Daviess County Farm Bureau, and served 20 years on the Owensboro-Daviess County Planning & Zoning Commission.

Miles was an Honorary Commissioner of Agriculture awarded February 13, 2018, an inductee into the International Monster Truck Museum Hall of Fame 2015, received a distinguished Rural Kentuckian Award -KY Association of Electric Coop-2007, Kentucky FFA Foundation Trustee Award - 2005, Kentucky FFA Distinguished Service Award, Leadership Award - Owensboro Community & Technical College, Outstanding Service in Kentucky Agriculture & Environment in the Classroom, The Fertilizer Institute - Outstanding Service and Leadership Award 1995-1996, Progressive Farmer's Kentucky Man of the Year 1987 and Outstanding Leader in Southern Agriculture, received the Thomas Poe Cooper Award from the University of Kentucky for outstanding contribution to agriculture, and was Man of the Year - The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the Western Kentucky Chapter, The Thirteenth Annual Wendell H. Ford Scholarship Dinner - 1990.

He is survived by his four children, Debra Seymour (Steve), Sterett Miles (Dianne), Paul Miles and Suzanne Miles; eight grandchildren, Miles Stratton, Michael Stratton, Jennifer McCrystal, Andy Seymour, Alison Miles, Bobby Miles, Abby Miles and Westyn Miles; six great grandchildren; and a sister, Sharon Kay Miles of Schochoh, KY.


Services are 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018, at Owensboro Christian Church, 2818 New Hartford Road in Owensboro, officiated by Reverend Eddie Duke. The burial will be private. James H. Davis Funeral Home & Crematory in Owensboro is in charge of arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Panther Creek Baptist Church, 7146 U.S. Hwy. 431, Owensboro, KY 42301, Lewy Body Research, Sanders Brown Center on Aging Foundation, P.O. Box 34184, Lexington, KY 40588, the Virginia Miles Nature Center, c/o OCTC, 4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303, or to any FFA Chapter of the donor's choice.