Ronald Vernon Miller

Ronnie was born in Long Beach; tragically his father died at age 40 when Ron was 9 years old and his mother just a short few years later. His father’s brother Everett Miller and wife Elma stepped in to help raise him following his mother’s death. They were the guiding forces who shaped this kind, gentle, honest, and honorable man. He was in boarding school for many years and his high school years at Chadwick School in Rolling Hills forged friendships that lasted a lifetime. After Chadwick, he attended Colorado College, Arizona State, served in the US Navy, and finally graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This handsome hunk never asked me, his then 19 year old girlfriend, to marry him, he asked “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” Well, of course I said yes!!! How could you say no to a good-looking, athletic, kind, sweet, sexy, and eligible bachelor? Married on Dec. 16, 1961, we had six years to ourselves before our son Douglas arrived, followed two years later by Alicia. Ronnie’s careers as a stock broker, retail store manager for Helen Grace Candies, and commercial real estate agent allowed me the freedom to be a stay-at-home mom, the best career on earth and we are proud that our children have turned out to be as kind, gentle, honest, honorable, successful, good-looking and athletically talented as their father. We have lived in Costa Mesa for over fifty years and have formed enduring friendships from our neighborhood and the Mesa Verde Country Club. We are blessed that Doug Miller married his perfect soulmate, Diane Tonkovich and that Alicia found hers with Shayne Nofts. Our grandchildren, Jacqueline, Maxwell and Bridget Miller and Tyler Nofts are following in their parents’ footsteps on the road to becoming incredible young adults; they were the light of Ronnie’s life. If you knew Ronnie, you knew what a genuine and wonderful human being he was and if you didn’t know him, you missed a class act. I, Rosemary Ferguson Miller, wife of 55 years, will be eternally grateful that I was able to be married to one of the truly good guys.