Rex Alan Miller

Rex Alan Miller, 62 of Lowman, Idaho died September 17th at his home. Rex was born June 3rd, 1958 to Gerald “Jerry” and Rosetta Miller (Terrell), in San Diego. His mother and father both served in the Navy, so the family also lived in Honolulu, HI and Norfolk, VA for short stints before returning to San Diego. Rex grew to love the outdoors and especially fishing. This love was also held by his father who moved the family to Boise, ID in 1971 after his retirement from the Navy. Rex attended Hillside Junior High and Capital High School where he graduated in 1976. Rex began his working career at a young age and took to house framing and later general contracting. He married his first wife Judy (Beaver) (Wood) in 1977. They gave birth to their son Chris in 1978. They had another son Hoby born in 1982, but divorced in 1989. Rex began a career working for the Boise National Forest in 1981 on a trail crew. He was also qualified as a firefighter and would switch from trail clearing to firefighting frequently. (A later account would show he was on more fires and worked more hours than many of the dedicated firefighters.) His first job was on the Boise R.D. He later transferred to the Lowman R.D. in 1988. His Forest Work was seasonal in those days, so he worked at Bogus Basin Ski Resort in the winters grooming trails, where he met Elena Nelson of Hailey, ID . Rex married Elena (Nelson) on August 25, 1990. Rex and Elena moved to Lowman, ID permanently in 1991. After a few more seasons working trails, Rex transferred permanently to working as a firefighter. Rex stayed on the Lowman R.D. for the rest of his career retiring as the Assistant Fire Management Officer in 2013. Rex poured himself into his career and was appreciated for his expertise and knowledge of the land. He knew every creek of his district and many more beyond. He dedicated himself to learning weather patterns, fire history and fire behavior. He spent many hours of his personal time in pursuit of this endeavor and poured himself into protecting and managing the land he loved. His fireline qualifications were exceptional in their variety from: Type 1 Faller, Air Attack, Operations Chief, Type 1 Burn Boss, and Strategic Operational Planner. The list goes on-and-on and exceeded his rank and pay by far, yet his heart kept him managing the land and program he loved intimately. Rex also relished the many close personal relationships he developed through his work who became close friends. He took great pride in mentoring many firefighters who worked under him and would recite the voluminous names going back decades. Rex enjoyed physical activity outdoors above anything else. He was an avid road cyclists, rock climber, and skier in his early years. He has done pretty much every outdoor sport you can imagine, but through it all he held tightest to fishing and hunting. This love was nurtured and stoked by many, but none more than his parent’s neighbor Josie Berry. Rex never missed a year hunting and pursued fish at all times and places. Rex was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law James. He is survived by his wife, sons Chris (Jamie) and Hoby (Jentry), his brother Glenn (Becky), his grandkids Alexis, Daisy, Caden, Logan, Chloe, and Megan, Elena’s 7 siblings and spouses, and numerous nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Starlight Mountain Theater in Garden Valley on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 1:00. All are welcome. Food will be provided by a food truck following the service. Please RSVP via text or phone call if you plan to eat 208-718-1625. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Wildland Firefighters Foundation, wffoundation.org