Rodney D Miller

Rodney David Miller died peacefully at home on November 1st, 2021 in New Port Richey, Florida, at the age of 82. He was preceded in death by his parents Floyd and Roberta Miller of Templeton, CA and his daughter Alison Miller of Fresno, CA. He is survived by his wife of 42 years Marie Kubek Miller, daughter Keely Czop and her husband Jim Gross, sons Matthew Miller, Jeremy Miller and Andrew Miller and Andrew’s wife Inge, grandchildren Hannah, Emily, Eva and Colton, brother Merle Miller and sister Joanne Cummings and his Corgi Willow.

Rod was born in Atascadero, California on November 8th, 1938, sharing a birthday with his grandson, Colton. He attended Templeton High School where he was an outgoing and passionate member of the high school basketball and football teams, once losing a kidney after taking a hit during a football game and later aggravated by a fall from his horse. He went on to earn his Bachelors in Agricultural Engineering and his MBA from Cal Poly where he lived with his brother Merle in a small camping trailer. He was never seen studying without his slide rule, and it was once said that he did his math homework with John Madden.

He spent the early part of his career in Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering working for FMC and Clorox. Although a proud man, he was genuinely modest about his talents, never bragging much about the cantaloupe harvesting machine that he both designed and built, later earning him the first of five patents in his career. Relocating to West Chester, PA in 1978, he went on to become the Plant Manager for B-in-B mushrooms (Clorox). This started a lifelong career that allowed him (and sometimes his family) to travel the world, spending weeks and sometimes months in places like Taiwan, Seoul, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Switzerland and countless cities and towns across the United States. In 1985, restless to follow his dream of owning his own company, he and his wife, Marie, opened a California

Closet Company franchise in West Chester, PA. This 8-year adventure allowed him to do what he did best . . . fearlessly meet new people, share in their stories, solve their problems, design and build things and create lifelong friendships in the community. After he sold the business, and during the fifteen years before his retirement in 2017, he moved on to the field of pharmaceutical engineering, where he led the design and implementation of experimental centrifugal instruments for blood treatment in cancer patients. This was work that brought him a great sense of fulfillment. It was his kind heart that truly motivated him inside and outside of work.

Rod loved spending time with his family and friends. Rod and Marie’s house was often the gathering place whether it was an occasion to celebrate or a day that ended in “y”. He was a charming and animated man who filled a room with his large personality, his laughter and his endless chatter. He was never afraid of being direct or honest, and frankly didn’t know how to be anything else. He was renowned for being fast with a joke and a witty anecdote. He was a compassionate man, generous and gregarious. He could strike up a conversation with anyone from the pool repairman to the cashier at Home Depot. He was neighborly in the old-fashioned kind of way, where you took the time to get to know your neighbors whether it was to ask how the kids were doing, what the trick was to make the Bird of Paradise bloom, or how the remodeling project was coming along. He waved to everyone even if they didn’t wave back and he never forgot a name.

An outdoorsman, engineer and competitor, Rod had a passion for spending time at the beach, boating, tinkering, fishing and crabbing and outdoor projects. He loved a game of pinochle or sticking it to you in a friendly game of Rummy 500. There was no minimum age for learning how to lose with Rod. His annual Christmas decorations riveled Clark Griswold’s and his two-step will be forever remembered by his family and the unsuspecting patrons of the Briquette Lounge. He loved going to the sandbar with his wife, his dog, and whoever else might be in the vicinity of the impromptu excursion. And he enjoyed quiet evenings on his dock, sipping a rum concoction and pondering the fish and birds that would stop by for a visit.

Rod was a devoted husband, a dedicated father and grandfather, beloved sibling, and a loyal friend. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. And he can rest in peace knowing the Eagles beat Tom Brady in the Superbowl.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.northmeadowlawnfuneral.com for the Miller family.