Edward Rudolf Miller of Montauk died on March 31 at his home, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 73.
Born May 24, 1936, in Springfield Gardens, New York, he was the second child of Emma (née Kreth) and Ralph Miller. He attended grammar school in a one-room schoolhouse in Woodbury after his family moved there. He later attended Huntington High School, graduating in 1954 before going on to Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1958.
Following college, he joined the U.S. Air Force Flight Training School in Lubbock, Texas, and was re-stationed in Pensacola, Florida, and Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, training with F-80 fighter jets. Flying airplanes remained one of his passions throughout his life. After the Air Force he continued his studies at Columbia University, graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree in 1961.
As a child, he shared a passion for fishing with his father. The two would go on fishing vacations and travel to Montauk on weekends—they became regular customers at Westlake Fishing Lodge. During high school he had a business clamming in Cold Spring Harbor, but his fishing passion became an official business in 1962, when, with help of his father, he bought the Westlake Fishing Lodge, Marina and Restaurant. At the time the marina had only 17 slips and the property needed tremendous work; he spent many years building, expanding and improving the property to its present state.
In 1966, Mr. Miller married Gillian Kellogg of New Hampshire and New York City. Together they had two children: Tanya Jean, born in 1968, and Christopher Ralph, born in 1969. The couple divorced in 1976.
Mr. Miller was a strong believer in hard work and self discipline, but he also found the time to pursue his passions for fishing and flying. A member of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, he earned instrument and commercial rated licenses for single and multi-engine aircraft and an instructor’s license. Survivors recalled that he loved to take friends up in the air for short trips over Montauk and Block Island. In addition, he was a flight instructor and flew charters.
Well known for fishing in all types of weather, he took many commercial fishing trips during the late 1980s; and in 1990 he obtained his captain’s license. He started a charter business with his boat, the Westlake, out of the marina. He was a member of the local Montauk Boatmen’s and Captains’ Association and acted as vice president for two years during the 1990s.
Mr. Miller also had an interest in steam locomotives. A longtime reader of Ron Ziel, the author of books on steam locomotives, he spent many winters traveling the world with his collection of books. He visited various countries that depended on steam locomotives as a main source of commercial travel. He donated his large collection of books on locomotives to the Montauk Library.
Family said this week that Mr. Miller was a loving father and grandfather whose dry sense of humor will be sadly missed by many.
He is survived by a daughter, Tanya Jean Miller and her husband Richard Rade of Montauk; a son, Christopher Ralph Miller and his wife Julie of Montauk; three sisters, Loretta DeRose of Montauk, Diane Brauch of Commack and Louise Miller of New Hampshire; two granddaughters, Emily Rose Miller and Ella Bleu Miller; a grandson, Richard “Richie” Joseph Rade III; and six nieces and nephews.
A funeral service was held on April 3 at the Montauk Community Church. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Montauk Fire Department/Ambulance Squad, 12 Flamingo Avenue, Montauk, NY 11954, or to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 would be appreciated by the family.
on Apr 6, 2010