Chuck's family and friends celebrate his life with loving memories of his role in shaping and sharing their own lives and personalities.
He was born in Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, graduated from Central Catholic High School, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1951. He attended the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, where he confounded and irritated his professors with his unorthodox views. He was a gifted artist and photographer, an avocation that chose him, rather than the other way around. While on Air Force active duty, he was stationed in Georgia, California, Alaska, Michigan, Colorado, and Vietnam.
After retiring he continued his travels, capturing the beauty and wonders of this Earth with his camera, discovering the profound in the ordinary. Sweeping across the western United States, he sampled life on the windswept Oregon Coast, the orchards of Washington, deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, and the lush forests of the American Midwest. He ranged to the coastal regions of Chile, Costa Rica, and the remote beaches of Easter Island. The green rolling hills of England beckoned to him, as did the pyramids along the quietly flowing Nile, in Egypt. His unblinking camera and his eye for color and light revealed what was invisible before he touched it.
Chuck Miller was a powerful man with a quick wit and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He earned the nickname, "No Bones" because he would not buy into the easy answer. He taught us not to take things at face value, but to consider the nuances that shape what it is. He cherished memories over material possessions.
He was a gentle man, a dreamer, a philosopher, and a traveler. He considered his homes temporary - a place to recharge and plan the next adventure. He was not an engineer, but he shared the common trait of reaching into the future to see what could be. Mechanical things confounded him every time he turned around. His medium was not of the physical, but of light, sound, and emotion. He taught us that it's the simple things in life that give us the greatest joy, and that honesty and uncompromising integrity are the foundation that a good life is built upon. Chuck always said, "You create your own reality," but he never gave a good answer to the question, "Am I in yours, or are you in mine?"
He was a powerful presence in life, and his energy radiates with an intensity that is seldom felt. We will miss his physical touch, but his presence will be felt forever. If Chuck were here today, he would say, "The psychologist will tell you that this is a time for mourning and this lets the healing begin. That's a bunch of crap. For crying out loud, rejoice in the memories and celebrate life!" His eyes were always fixed upon the stars, his thoughts always upon the mysteries of the universe. With this launch, he will become, for a brief and glorious moment, a blazing part of the evening sky. We Celebrate!
