George Millman, 83; longtime civil engineer who served on Framingham Town Meeting

The Boston native graduated from the English High School in Jamaica Plain in 1944. Mr. Millman served as a sergeant in the Army until 1946 with the 672d Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theater in World War II during the Ruhr campaign in Germany.

After his service, Mr. Millman graduated from Northeastern University in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

As a child, Mr. Millman was a trained percussionist and was a member of the choir at Trinity Church in Boston. His four children said they remember playing individual duets with their father on the piano, clarinet, and flute when they were younger.

During the 1960s, Mr. Millman was part of the general contracting team for the plant for the Framingham News. Later, he was the owner’s representative for the construction of the present facility in Framingham for the MetroWest Daily News.

Mr. Millman was licensed in Massachusetts as a civil engineer. After working with general contractors and engineering firms in Massachusetts, Mr. Millman founded a consulting firm, Construction Engineering, in 1971.

“He loved the freedom and independence to do things the way he thought they should be done,’’ said one of his sons, Joel, of Portland, Ore.

Relatives said Mr. Millman set a new standard by opening his expertise to more than one employer.

“A lot of people do this now, but it was radical in construction in those days,’’ his son said. “His strength was helping friends realize projects the most efficiently as possible.’’Mr. Millman was a panelist for the American Arbitration Association, which provides services to individuals and organizations who wish to resolve conflicts out of court. He was qualified as an expert witness in several district and superior courts in Massachusetts and the superior court in Hartford.

Mr. Millman was a resident of Framingham from 1952 until he moved to Duxbury in 2006.

Mr. Millman was a Town Meeting member throughout the 1960s and into the 1990s, when he served on the Conservation Commission.

His passion for music allowed him to cofound the Framingham Symphony Orchestra during the 1960s and stay involved with it for about 20 years. As an amateur timpanist, Mr. Millman played with the former Civic League Symphony and the Marlborough Symphony, as well as other local ensembles.

“He was the kind of guy who understood the beauty of [composer and conductor] Gustav Mahler and the New England Patriots,’’ his son said.

Mr. Millman was a founding member of Temple Beth Am in Framingham, where he served on the original building committee. He also was the first scoutmaster of the Boy Scout troop sponsored by the temple.

“He had patience and a real strong sense of doing what’s right,’’ his son said. “He wanted to work and act ethically any way he could.’’

In addition to his son Joel, Mr. Millman leaves another son, F. Joshua of Harrisburg, Pa.; two daughters, Jennifer Stockmeier of Hudson, N.Y., and Julia Austin of Duxbury; nine grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel in Canton at 10 a.m. today. Burial will take place after the service in Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon.