Phillip Ray Miller

Phil was born July 27, 1937, in La Puente, California. He attended Hudson Elementary School, where he had perfect attendance from 3rd grade through 8th, earned athletic letters for softball and baseball in 6th and 8th grade sports, and was named "Best Speller in School".

He then attended La Puente High School, where, as a member of Future Farmers of America he raised a Blue Ribbon heifer, and earned an athletic letter in Varsity Football. Phil relocated to Phoenix with his parents in 1954 and attended and graduated with the class of 1955 from Glendale Union High School, Glendale, Arizona, where he was voted "Most Handsome" by his classmates.

After graduation, Phil returned to La Puente. In the summer of 1955, he and four of his life-long buddies enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training at Fort Ord, California, he was posted at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and then Germany were he served six years. He was chosen to attend Honor Guard Academy and assigned as an Honor Guard in Munich. After achieving first out of 155 participants in a Field Training Exercise, his accomplishments were the subject of an article in the Army's publication, The Stars and Stripes.

After mustering out of the Army, Phil returned to Phoenix in 1961. Phil worked as a dance teacher for the Velos and Yolanda Dance Studio and became active in the Phoenix Little Theater. As an actor between 1961 and 1963, Phil appeared in two productions of the Little Theater and in several television commercials.

In 1963, Phil met and fell in love with Emily Cowhick. They were married in Emily's hometown of Springfield, Illinois, on November 23, 1963, the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The priest who married them was Father John Kennedy. They made a home in Alhambra, California, where two of their three children were born.

Mr. Miller attended the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Academy in 1963, finishing 2nd in his class and becoming a Deputy Sheriff. In 1967, he was assigned to the Bailiff Department where he worked for Judge Farley for seven years. He was twice named Officer of the Month by the Department.

After a few years living in Bakersfield, California, where he and Emily co-owned and operated Scotty's Pie Shop, they welcomed their third child. Phil and Emily then moved back to Phoenix where he worked as a salesman of advertising time for radio and television stations, KTAR, KTVK, and KPHO, and was named salesman of the month multiple times at each.

Phil worked twenty plus years for Arizona Department of Transportation and lived in Wickenburg until he retired. He then lived in Cottonwood and Camp Verde, where he worked in security, and then as a dealer for Cliff Castle Casino, and in security, then a driver for Sedona Resorts.

In 2024, Mr. Miller relocated back to Phoenix to be closer to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews with whom he enjoyed sharing his many adventures of hunting the Arizona forests for deer and elk, and fishing the state's many lakes and rivers. An avid life-long fan of baseball, Phil was a Little League baseball and softball coach, and worked as an umpire in Little League and high school games around the state for 34 years.

Phillip was predeceased by his brother, Leroy Miller, sister, Alice Miller (Wilson), and son, Derek Paul Miller, who attended Thunderbird High School. He is survived by daughter, Dr. Diane Miller Koch, son-in-law Dr. Christopher Koch; daughter, Leslie Miller Berger, son-in-law Randy Berger; daughter-in-law, Kendra Miller; grandchildren, Kacey Berger Lewis and her husband Keegan Lewis; Kyle Berger; Keegan Koch; Cameron Koch and his wife Mackenzie; Jonathan Koch; and Garrett Miller and his wife Julia; great grandchildren, Sage Miller, Emily Miller, and yet-to-be-born Kya Miller, Miller Lewis, and Rowan Koch. He is also survived by his ex-wife Emily Cowhick Frische, his sister, Karen Miller Gibbs, brother, David Miller, sister-in-law, Ramona Miller, several nieces and nephews, and many grand and great grand nieces and nephews.

His booming voice and commanding presence will be missed by all those honored to know him. As Phil would say, "I'll smell ya later!"

A memorial service will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, located at 2929 E Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85024. The service is scheduled for October 17, 2025, starting at 10:00 am.