Larry Statham
Through the years after East High, Dave Miller and I moved from one location to another with our government jobs. We exchanged letters and emails, and we occasionally were together during visits to Wichita.
After retirement my travels took me to Jekyll Island, Georgia, for one of my “winter seasons.” Dave was just relocating, and his wife was promoted to a nursing director’s position at a hospital in another city. Dave had decided that might be a good opportunity for us to get together again, considering I was planning to go south to Florida about that time to visit Rick Mittelstadt, whose cancer had returned. (Left, Rick Mittelstadt; right, Dave Mller)
Events have a way of overtaking plans, and Dave’s wife’s relocation delayed our visit. The rest is history. We didn’t get our visit together for fly fishing. He departed this life while caring for his beloved grandkids at his home, I was told.
I hold him dear for his long loyal friendship and, as Lee Ayres said in “Visiting Dave Miller”, his wonderful sense of humor which was exemplified so many times. During his days in Topeka, Dave had worked for a funeral home and his unabashed humor filled those stories, I couldn’t do justice to them by retelling. Together with Tom Hutchinson, Rick Mittelstadt and me, Dave would sit around telling stories, and we would laugh until we all were practically in tears as he told us those stories.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
Editor’s Note: Click on the titles below to see more stories about Dave Miller. That’s Dave in the photo at right.
Lee Ayres, Visiting Dave Miller