Randall J. Miller

Randall J. Miller, 57, of Bennet, Nebraska passed away on November 5, 2014. He was born in Grand Island, Nebraska on November 4, 1957 to Jacob and Mildred Miller. He is survived by his wife Susan; sons, Ross of Omaha and Reece of Lincoln; brothers, Richard Miller (Arlene) of St. Paul, NE and Ron Miller (Ann) of Grand Island; step-mother Phyllis Miller of St. Paul; step-sisters, Jean Roth (Darrell) of Omaha, Jan Kavensky (Ken) of Fishers, IN, Deb Rasmussen (Dale) of St. Paul; father-in-law, Charles Shields, Kearney, sisters-in-law; Lisa Broderick, Kearney and Debbie Shields, Lincoln; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends. He is preceded in death by his parents and mother-in-law, Beth Shields.

After fighting cancer everyday for seven years Randy’s battle with multiple myeloma finally ended in the early morning hours of November 5, 2014 – hours after his 57th birthday. The pain and sadness that we feel from losing him is very deep, but the relief of knowing that he is no longer suffering in pain comforts us all and the fact that he is reunited with his mother and father is satisfying because we know how much he missed them. He was the best husband and father that we could have ever dreamed of and he was always there for us no matter what.

Randy was the most driven and determined person that we have ever known even until his last breath. We are proud of the way he fought and battled this disease. He touched many people through his actions and courage against this terrible disease. He never backed down and was always eager and proud to test new drugs or treatments. Randy endured three stem cell transplants, numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and surgeries in his seven year journey.

He had been rehabilitating at Gateway Vista for the past month. We were able to grant him his final wish and get him home for his 57th birthday. He was surrounded by his family as he took his final breaths. We are proud to announce that he is now CANCER-FREE!

In addition to being a loving and supportive husband and father, Randy also had a deep love for animals and surrounded himself and our family with dogs. He passionately raised Brittanys and showed them, including us all in this passion. We also raised rabbits, goats, and Dexter cattle and were involved in 4-H, following in his footsteps. Randy was the Treasurer of Cornhusker Kennel Club, and actively involved in the Nebraska Brittany Club. Randy got involved in coaching youth soccer with the Capital Soccer Association initially as an assistant coach for his sons’ teams and he eventually became a head coach – coaching a team from their first year of organized soccer up until they entered high school. His teams became very successful and were able to win a Nebraska State Championship. Coaching made him very happy and allowed him to impact many lives.

Randy was a graduate of Grand Island High School and received his Bachelors of Science in Agribusiness from the University of Nebraska – Kearney. He was a proud member of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity while in college and made many memories and great friends.

After graduation Randy and Susan got married May 28, 1983 in Kearney, Nebraska. Following marriage they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where they started their life together and raised their two sons, Ross and Reece. In 1999, the family moved just outside of Lincoln to an acreage in Bennet, Nebraska. The acreage provided Randy the ability to pursue his hobbies and passions, allowing him to raise his animals and family. Randy worked primarily in the industrial manufacturing industry as an Office and Purchasing Manager. Since 2010, Randy worked at Nelnet as an Associate Accountant.

Randy packed a lot into a great and fulfilling life in the short 57 years he had here. He was a fighter, a competitor, and a passionate individual. Randy was able to get things done even up until his final days! He touched so many peoples’ lives. We will think about him everyday and we will miss him dearly for the rest of our lives. We only wish that we had more time with him so he could grow old with us and share many more memories. Thank you for everything dad!

With all our love,

Susan, Ross, and Reece