Kenneth James Miller II

Kenneth James “Ken” Miller II, 76, passed away Wednesday, March 12, 2025, with his family by his side at his home in Elk Grove, CA. He was born August 2, 1948 to the late Ken & Betty (Allard) Miller in Lakewood, CA. Ken and his younger sister, Cheryl, spent part of their early childhood in Iowa before the family moved back to Lakewood where he graduated from Lakewood High in 1966. He then went on to attend Cal State Long Beach where he was a member of their highly successful rowing team. He graduated with a degree in Biology which he went on to use during his illustrious 43-year firefighting career with both the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and San Diego County. During his early adult years, Ken had an adventurous streak. He was an avid rock climber and obtained his pilot’s license. He was also in the Army National Guard for 6 years. Ken met the love of his life, Rosemarie, while living in Big Bear City, CA. They were joined in union on September 9, 1978. The pair were inseparable from that moment throughout their 46-year marriage.

Ken was the ultimate family man. When his children were growing up, despite his sometimes grueling work schedule, he never missed an opportunity to take them camping, or fishing, or on a road trip. He was a devoted father and husband. In his retired years he loved nothing more than spending time with his beloved wife, children, grandchildren, & great grandchildren. Ken’s faith in God was unwavering. He and Rosemarie were always heavily involved with their church no matter where they lived at the time. Ken was passionate about volunteering and giving back to his community. He served on countless boards and was a member of numerous organizations including the Knights of Columbus, the Elk Grove Historical Society, and the Native Sons. Ken also loved watching sports. His favorite teams included the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

During his tenure with CDF, Ken worked up & down the state of California from San Bernadino to Riverside to Fresno to Sacramento and finally San Diego where he retired as Unit Chief in 2003. However, Ken’s strong work ethic wouldn’t let him stop there. He became a Fire Marshall for San Diego County for a few years. His next endeavor involved creating a fire department from scratch for the county with the assistance of his esteemed colleague, Ralph. Finally in 2015, Ken retired for good and he and Rosemarie moved back to Elk Grove to be near family.

Left to mourn his passing are his wife, Rosemarie, of the home; his three children, Dina Wilcox, Elk Grove, CA, Travis Miller (Sarah), Carson City, NV and Justin Miller (Trish), Lincoln, KS; his grandchildren, Jordan Wilcox (Annika), Elk Grove, CA, Kiana Wilcox (Michael), Sacramento, CA, Natalya Miller, Reno, NV, Jackson & Daisy Miller, Carson City, NV, and Liam Miller, Lincoln, KS; his great grandchildren, Azariah & Hezekiah Jones, Sacramento, CA and Freya Wilcox, Elk Grove, CA; sister Cheryl Estacio (Martin) and nephews Marty & Eric Estacio all of Oak Hills, CA.

He was preceded in death by his mother & father, Ken & Betty Miller, and also father-in-law & mother-in-law, Chuck & Irene Roos.

Though he is gone from sight, his kind and generous spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, March 21, 2025 at El Camino Memorial, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA with burial to immediately follow. Visitation will be from 4 – 8 p.m. Thursday, March 20, 2025 also at El Camino Memorial with family present. An additional celebration of life will take place this summer in Elk Grove.