Donald M. Miller

Donald Milton Miller was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 10, 1930 to Frank Miller and Margaret Gehris. He died on September 9, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is survived by his son, Michael Miller, daughter-in-law Guia Miller, three grandchildren, Erik Miller, 19, Caitlin Miller, 11, and Sonia Kim, 30, the daughter of Deborah Miller. Don met his wife, Marjorie Ann Lehman, when they were counselors at a summer camp, both were age 16. They were married at age 22, in 1952. He attended the University of Louisville, in Kentucky, from 1948 to 1953. He was in the NROTC, and studied electrical engineering. Don and Marjorie Miller had 2 children Deborah, born in 1953 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Michael Miller, born in 1956, in Bethesda, Maryland. He served in the Navy for a total of 22 years, from 1953 to 1977 and achieved the rank of Commander. Don served 13 months in Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, from June 1967 - July 1968. After serving in the military, Don worked in civil service and then Raytheon for the remainder of his career. In 1996, Don lost both his wife, and his younger brother Richard Miller. On October 1, 2000, at age 70, Don retired from Raytheon, and decided to fulfill his dream of living on a boat. He took a course called "Bare Boat Chartering," and became qualified to skipper a sailboat from 37 to 50 feet long. He purchased a yacht that he named "Sonia-Cate," and moved permanently to Florida to live on this boat. This was his first command at sea. In 2001, Don lost his daughter Deborah. Don was an active member of the now defunct Windjammers of Clearwater Sailing Club, where his boat ?Sonia-Cate?, a Catalina 400 won its division in the Annual Bikini Cup Regatta. Since early 2002, Don started campaigning his sailboat in the Suncoast ?Boat of the Year? series, in which he has won his division and fleet several seasons, including the Clearwater to Key West Regattas. He also participated in the St. Petersburg Sailing Association SPSA annual race series and won numerous times. This is remarkable as he didn?t buy his boat and start racing until he was 70 years old. In recent years he had battled a heart attack with a quadruple bypass operation and prostate cancer and subsequent radiation treatments. Through it all, he raced and cruised the sailboat with very little down-time. Don was also one of the few fulltime live aboard racers. He is also survived by his local ?Sonia-Cate? racing, cruising & delivery crews of nearly 50 friends, including Ellen Henderson, his crew organizer & companion of many years.