Albert C. Miller

June 2, 1923 - November 1, 2013 Al died at home with his four children and family near his side. Al was born in Denver. He attended St. Joseph Grade and High School and Regis College on a football scholarship. He joined the Merchant Marines in 1942 and served in the South Pacific during World War II. He met his future wife Rosanne while he was stationed in Oakland. The couple moved back to Denver with their four children in 1957. Al and Rosanne were married 55 years. She preceded him in death in 1999. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather and a kind and loyal friend with a wonderful sense of humor. Al was an avid gardener, and a whiz in making and repairing almost anything. In his retirement years he continued gardening, volunteered as a handyman for the elderly, joined a bowling team and took up wood carving. He is survived by his four children, Rosalie Miller (Barbara Bachman), Carl Miller (Beverly), Albert Miller(Mary Lu) and David Miller (Marta Nieburg); 4 grandchildren, Zoriah, Jesse, Sara and Stephanie; two great grandchildren; Quinton and Landon. A brother, William (Bill) Miller and sister, Josephine (Jodi) Miller. A private Celebration of Life will be held. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Denver Dumb Friends League (www.ddfl.org), 2080 S Quebec St, Denver, CO 80231, or a charity of your choice. Please share your memories of Al by selecting the guestbook link below. With the permission of his grandson Zoriah, we are inserting a letter he wrote to Al the day before his death which speaks of how much ""Pop"" meant to him and what he taught him. Anyone who knew Al will be able to relate to Zo's loving tribute of his Pop. Pop, I was writing to a close friend about you today. She commented about how many times she has heard me talk about you over the years and how much she knows I love you and how I consider you one of my closest and dearest friends in life. I was writing her back to remind her why it was that I do love you so much and why you are such a good friend, when it occurred to me that maybe I should tell you as well. I think I have said these things to you over the years in bits and pieces, but I really wanted to say them again and make sure you know how much you mean to me. So here goes: You have not only been my Grandpa, you have also been and continue to be my father. My father was not around a lot when I was young and you stepped up and filled that role. And you filled it in a way that I can't imagine anyone doing any better than you did. You taught me how to be a man Pop. You taught me so many important things that make me who I am today. You taught me how to work with my hands. How to fix pretty much anything, WITH pretty much anything. If a friend's toilette or sink breaks everyone is pretty sure I will figure out a way to fix it with nothing more than some duct tape, a clothes hanger, a rubber band and a popsicle stick. Those lessons that you have taught me have helped me to be who I am today. They have taught me how I can find creative ways into and out of pretty much every situation I have ever, or will ever find myself in. These are lessons that were so, so, so important to me, yet so very few people are ever fortunate enough to have someone teach them these things. So thank you so very, very much for that. You taught me about being strong, both physically and emotionally. I always admired your muscles and always wanted to have ones like them! I still get to the gym pretty much every day and being healthy has also helped me so much in life...so thank you for inspiring me to be that way. But unlike a lot of fathers you did not want me to be like a superman or an army man. You taught me to be kind and gentle, to be good to people and animals. You were never rough or mean to me and even more importantly you were not that way with Grandma or anyone else...and we all know that the best teachers lead more by example than they do by words. You taught me humor and silliness as well. There is a silly gene in us Millers, Rosie has it, Dave has it, Carl has it and we all know Al got an extra serving :)) And I think maybe we can thank you for that gene. I think on the outside it might just look like fun, laughing and silliness...but it is so much bigger and deeper than that. It has allowed me to get through so many hard times. It allows me to see and experience tough things but still find it all a bit funny in the end...and if I could not see things that way I would not know how to go on. It is a lightness, joy and fun thing in life that is truly a blessing and I am so happy that we have all shared that. You also helped to teach me to be interested in this huge world we live in! I often remember your stories of being on the ship at sea and in different ports as well as in India. I remember sitting with you and Grandma and listening to the short wave radio, hearing all of these different languages from different places around the world. I was transfixed by the idea of foreign places and I couldn't wait to discover them. You always encouraged me and I knew that whatever I became interested in or wanted to do, you would support it. I wanted a skateboard and could not afford one, so you built one for me out of a board and some metal wheels. I wanted to do something with all these golf balls we found together so you built me a golf course in the yard. You even found me a little video game system at a yard sale once and despite the fact that you ""don't have a computer mind"" you set it up so I could play, and then played with me. You always supported me in everything I did...and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. And even after all of these lessons...how to be a man, how to be strong, how to be creative, how to be kind, how to be supportive and how to find humor...you had one more up your sleeve: and that was how to be an artist! You may not realize it but you have always been a great artist Pop. Your art is in the things you build, in what you cook, the characters you carve from wood and the things you have fixed for all of us. Your art is in the form of a radish with silly eyes and a smile carved in with toothpick legs and toothpick arms. Most people think my photos are journalism but mainly they are just me trying to make art that will affect people, and I don't think I could have been an artist without what you passed on to both me and Rosie. And without being an artist I could have never made it to 92 countries and have had all of the experiences I have had. It has always been more than a job for me, it has been an inspiration, so thank you so much for helping to give that to me! Honestly Pop, I would probably not be able to write an email like this if it were not for you. But you taught me that you can be a man, still have feelings and still care and still tell people you care about them. So I just wanted to make sure you know how much you mean to me. I don't know what the coming weeks or months will bring but I really hope you get better and that we can get more time to go out and eat burritos or just sit together and talk or watch a movie or two. But if that is not possible and you need to go, I understand Pop. I know how much you love me because you showed me that every day of my entire life. You showed me more love than any other father or grandfather that has ever walked this planet. And I really hope you know how much I have loved you as well and how much I continue to love you. Everything you have taught me and have given to me is precious and will be with me my whole life, and I hope to pass it all on to others as well. Thank you so very, very, very much for all of it!!! You are my Dad, my Grandpa...and a best friend...and that will never change. I love you dearly Pop, zo