News Features

As Winn-Dixie Closure Nears, A Career Remembered

    By Enola Gay Miller
   A legacy gone: Winn-Dixie served the community for years, and one of the faces you would always find from the very beginning was James Miller. He was 17 when he started, and became Market Manager.   James is my dad and he worked for 43 years for Winn-Dixie, 41 years in Eustis.
   Winn-Dixie was known as the Beef People. They had four stores in Eustis throughout the years. He had some great help throughout the years and he trained many from the area and the community.
   Jim White was one of his assistant managers and he worked for 45 years himself for Winn-Dixie. Many others also from the community have worked there and raised their families. He raised his family: wife Mary Alice, Enola Gay, Darryl, David, Grandchildren Kaley, J.D., and Eli, providing a great life for all.
   Many, many faces showed up at his retirement party. There were over 200 people at the Umatilla Community Center. People who he had served became friends. One-on-one he became a part of their families as well all of their holidays, helping them with their meat and helping make sure that they had the best.
   After he retired, he would go into the store and he would pick up and handpick their meat, as they still would stop him and ask him to pick out their meat. That’s true customer service after all those years that is what Winn-Dixie stood for the Meat People, that’s for sure.
   He was blessed to work at Winn-Dixie and be a part of such a wonderful family. Although another store may be taking over, there will always be the memories that were made in the aisles of Winn-Dixie: A place that many called family.
   As I took my dad to take a picture in front of the Winn-Dixie sign for the last time, tears rolled down his cheeks and mine too. What an amazing legacy; so many blessings that came from being a part of such a heritage in so many of our lives.
   Although things are changing we will never forget because of Winn-Dixie... He worked 43 years and only missed 3 days of work.
   Thank you Jesus. Thanks W/D.