Richard James Miller (Dick to his friends) of Sebastian, FL died at the age of 83 on Monday, October 17, 2022 with his loving family at his bedside following a brief illness. He is survived by his bride of 59 years, MaryAnne (Hemschoot) Miller of Sebastian, FL, and his daughters: Chamaine (Lou) Zacchera of CT, Michelle (Bob Jr) Stevens of GA, and Alicia (Manny) Catarino of CT. Richard leaves behind eight grandchildren: Ryan (Jorie), Matt, Connor, Sabrina (Ricky), Kyle (Shane), Jake, Nicole, and Cristina. He is survived by his sister, Sister Ann Miller of Tarrytown, NY, and was predeceased by his parents, Louis and Anna Miller, and siblings Robert Miller and Madeline White.

Richard was born in Jersey City, NJ and moved to Manasquan, NJ at the age of 10. He started his love of sunbathing, body surfing, and gardening while living in Manasquan. He had a green thumb even at a young age, planting a fir tree on his parents' corner lot that grew to be over 30 feet tall. He graduated from Manasquan High School in 1956 and then enlisted in the United States Navy. He always had a love for traveling and enjoyed his three years in the Navy, traveling around the Mediterranean and experiencing as much of the culture and food that he was able to. Upon his return to civilian life, he enrolled at Monmouth University and graduated with a degree in History and Education in 1963. It was
at Monmouth that he met his bride, MaryAnne, while she was reading a bulletin board, and they were married one year later in 1963. Richard started out working for Travelers Insurance as a claims adjuster, often bringing home plant cuttings and items he could use in his garden, which he loved working in during his free time. He worked for Travelers for three years before transitioning to teaching in New Jersey. One day while reading the Wall Street Journal, Richard read about an opportunity to teach on the island of American Samoa, applying and moved his family overseas for the first of many overseas job opportunities. After spending four years in American Samoa, Richard and his family happened upon an opportunity to be a teacher for a one room schoolhouse in Yellow Pine, ID teaching K-8 (including his two oldest daughters) while on vacation. He then spent one year teaching in Idaho (6 months of which were snowed in) before applying to teach overseas for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS).

Richards love for Yellow Pine remained and he eventually bought a cabin on the border of the Boise National Forest called "The Rugged Diamond." This became Richard's summer oasis and eventually became Richard and MaryAnne's summer retirement home. While working for DODDS, Richard was stationed in Japan (Okinawa), South Korea, Panama, England, Bermuda, and Cuba (Guantanamo Bay), before ending his career in South Korea and retiring in 1995. He advanced quickly with DODDS, initially starting as a teacher before progressing to administration and spending most of his DODDS career as a principal. Throughout all of his travels, Richard's love of photography allowed him to capture his experiences and
the beauty of each country on film to share with his family and friends. He had a reputation for always taking forever trying to capture a family photo and would often get grief from his daughters as they moaned, "Come on dad!" Richard enjoyed creating family slide shows where he and MaryAnne would share their adventures, through both photos and stories, of their time abroad. Seven years after retiring, Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, but he never let the disease slow him down. He was able to remain at home tinkering in his garage and garden up until his last illness due to the loving care of his wife, MaryAnne. He taught his youngest daughter, Alicia, who works in health care, that there are many versions of being functional, and it didn't always have to be textbook perfect.

He will be remembered for always having a great sense of humor but also knowing when to put on his "principal face." He shared his love of gin and tonics while watching the sun set and swore he saw a pop of green as the sun met the horizon (Tanqueray was his favorite). He would tease away potential "creeps" who were interested in his daughters, and they quickly learned to only bring the serious ones home to meet dad. He had a demeanor that demanded respect and often confused the Military Police at the gates of the base who would salute him as he drove by just in case he was an officer. Besides photography and gardening, Richard had a love for music, often "directing" the orchestra from the couch or dancing with his bride and daughters around the living room floor. The "Miller Zoo" will be missing their leader now that Richard is gone, but his memory will live on forever in their hearts.

Per Richards request, there will be no services.