Willeen Miller Hough

Willeen Miller Hough, of Little Rock, died at the Health Center at Parkway Village March 30, 2015 after a brief illness. She was born in Williford, Sharp County, Arkansas on January 3, 1920 to William Scott Miller and Thelma Camp Miller. Willeen was reared in Portia and Walnut Ridge, Lawrence County, Arkansas where her father was a superintendent and county tax assessor. She graduated from Walnut Ridge High School in 1937 and then relocated with her family to Little Rock. There she continued her education at the Duaughon School of Business. Later in her career, she added summer courses at Texas A&M University and the University of Oklahoma in Industrial development. After a short period with GMAC, she entered into a career in government work with the Soil Conservation Service, U.S.D.A. in DeQueen, Arkansas. In 1942 she married Aubrey J. Hough. Following the birth of her two sons, she became a stay-at-home mother for several years. Following her husband's service overseas in the U.S. Army Air Force, the family moved to Camden, Arkansas where they lived from 1949-52. In 1952 they returned to Pulaski County, living in North Little Rock where she resided until moving to Parkway Village in 2001. Willeen was active in both civic and church functions during her years in North Little Rock, teaching Sunday School at Park Hill Baptist Church, serving as the first President of the Ridge Road Junior High School PTA, accompanying students performing in state band competitions, serving as an active member of garden clubs, and as Associate Editor of the Arkansas Gardener magazine. In later years, she was active in the National Association of Retired Persons, serving as Treasurer of the Arkansas Chapter, The Arkansas Associate of Development Organizations, the Industrial Developers of Arkansas and the State Manpower Council to which she was appointed by Governor Dale Bumpers. Her career in public life began anew as her sons grew older. She worked first in the North Little Rock Public Schools, and then the Arkansas State Department of Education before rejoining other federal government agencies, the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. This career enabled her in improve the lives of ordinary Arkansans, brought her to day-to-day contact with elected officials at all levels of government and provided many challenges she met with enthusiasm. Among the projects funded in part after her groundwork and grant writing were numerous water and sewer programs, the Port of Camden development, the restoration of the historic old Lawrence County Courthouse at Powhattan and the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Her first husband died in 1983. In 1990, she married Charles F. Adams of Conway and they had a wonderful 13 years of companionship with many travels to destinations in the U.S. and abroad. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, Aubrey J. Hough, Sr. (1983) and Charles F. Adams (2003); infant sister, Wilma Miller (1918); brother, William Scott Miller, Jr. (2000); and a son, William Arthur Hough (2013). Survivors include a son, Dr. Aubrey Hough Jr. and his wife, Emily, of Little Rock; a daughter-in-law, Charlotte Hough of St. Mary's, Ga.; four grandsons, Charles Hough (Emiko), of Dallas, Texas, Robert Hough of Dripping Springs, Texas, Darren Hough (Kristin), of Atlanta, Ga., and Kevin Hough (Rachel), of Alpharetta, Ga.; three great-grandsons, William and Andrew Hough of Dallas, Texas, and Eric Hough of Alpharetta, Ga.; three nephews, Prentiss M. Hough of Mineola, Texas, Gary Miller of Hot Springs, Ark., and Alan Miller of Plano, Texas; one niece, Ketha Hough Lewis of Lafayette, LA; a sister-in-law, Imogene Miller of Little Rock; and two stepchildren, Rudy Adams of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Billie Jean Keller of Nashville, Tenn.; and eight step-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 3, 2015 in the chapel of Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth, 5800 W. 12th St., Little Rock (501) 661-9111, with Rev. Rick Jaggars officiating. Interment will follow at Rest Hills Memorial Park in North Little Rock. The family will receive her extended family and friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Charles, Robert, Darren and Kevin Hough, Gary and Alan Miller, and Prentiss M. Hough and P.W. Whitaker. Memorials may be made to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, UAMS, 4301 W. Markham, Slot 623F, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. To sign the online guestbook, go to www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com.