Phillip Ray Miller, 86

Phillip Ray Miller died in Prescott, Ariz., Friday morning, Jan. 30, 2015, after a long struggle with heart and lung problems. He was 86.

Phil was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on March 10, 1928, the youngest of four sons of Clinton and Dena Miller. His ancestors immigrated from Poland and Ireland. He grew up swimming with his brothers and friends on the beach near his home. In high school he began his life-long love of golf when he worked as a caddie. However his childhood was during a troubled time in history. His father fought in World War I, and all three of his brothers went off to war in World War II. He regretted that he was too young to go to war himself, but later enlisted in the Koran War serving as a tank commander during some of the toughest battles from Nov. 6, 1951 to Nov. 5, 1953. He was always proud of his service.

During and after the wars, the mines in North Idaho were going strong. Phill found work in the mines and then pursued schooling at the Montana School of Mines in Butte. After his military service, he graduated with a degree in Mining Geology. The Nuclear developments of the 1950s led him to work in the uranium mining industry in New Mexico, Wyoming, Spokane, Wash. and Denver, Colo. He always remained an advocate for nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Phill loved the work of exploration geology, and this took him to many other amazing places in his career including Nevada, Iowa, Missouri, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Australia, Mexico and Kyrgyzstan. His experience in hard-rock mining led him eventually to settle in the Prescott area where he helped reopen the old McCabe gold mine in Humboldt, Ariz. before retirement.

He met the love of his life, Irene Winborn (Castle), in Creede, Colo. in August 1964. They skied, golfed, traveled the world, and did almost everything together up until his last day. Together over the years they provided love and support to four children - two his and two hers (and later to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren). They came to Dewey in 1988.

Phill was always curious and engaged in the world around him. He loved reading and writing. He was a bird watcher, and recorded the rainfall and weather conditions every day faithfully for years. He followed many sports - but especially golf.

Phill held himself to a high ethical standard and expressed this through his devotion to the Episcopal/Anglican Church and the Masons (he attained the 33rd degree in the Scottish Rite, and was a lifetime member of Lodge 25 in Wallace, Idaho). He frequently probed his children and grandchildren about their church attendance (or lack thereof). The church offered him great solace in a difficult phase of his life.

The Millers always had a predisposition to intellectual and particularly political argument, and Phill was rarely hesitant to display this family trait. He argued best and hardest with his brothers. However a moment after a very firm interchange, he would shift back into his more natural state which was warm, tender, generous and supportive.

Phill spent many years immersed in researching and writing family history; his magnum opus was a genealogical study focused on his father, Clinton Leslie Miller, and grandfather Anton Lokczynski/Miller. He passed this interest on to his son Peter, who was able to find and visit the Lokczynski ancestral hometown of Gromadno, Poland, in 2013. Phill followed this pilgrimage closely, and was sorry he did not have strength to go along.

Phill cherished living in Dewey, sitting on the patio watching golfers go by - long after he could no longer play. He loved watching and feeding the quail and other small birds, always trying to protect them from the hawks on the course. He love sipping sweet wine while watching the sunset. He cherished his entire family, but always foremost among them was the one he always referred to as his bride, Irene.

Phill Miller is survived by his wife Irene; his children Peter S. Miller (Patricia Rysdam) of Andover, Minn., Judith C. Miller of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Ronald Brian Castle (Pamela Castle) of Winchester, Tenn., and Kay Lynette Rugh (Thomas F. Rugh) of North August, S.C.; grandchildren Amber Miller, Dena Miller, Aaron Rugh, Nathaniel Rugh, Cameron Rugh, Chelsea Rugh, Shannon Castle, Kristan Ware, Rebecca Castle, and Marc Castle; and seven great-grandchildren.

A religious service and celebration of Phill's life was held in Prescott, Ariz. Arrangements entrusted to Sunrise Funeral Home.