Bill Miller was born February 3, 1936, in Gold Beach, Oregon, and said goodbye to all his friends on July 27, 2015, at the age of 79.

Descended from Oregon pioneer families, including his great-grandfather John McBride, who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh in 1863 fighting under Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Reed Miller, who settled in Gold Beach area along the Rogue River in the 1880s, leaving behind many descendants throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Bill graduated from Port Orford High School in 1954 and served in the United States Navy from 1954-1958 as a hospital corpsman attached to a Marine division in Japan, Okinawa and the Philippines. He worked at The Pacific Lumber Company from 1961 to 1998 in Scotia, and served in the Scotia Volunteer Fire Department for 32 years, living the entire time as a resident in the Scotia firehall, rising to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief.

Bill taught many new members the ropes during his tenure and will always be remembered as being patient and kind. Bill will be dearly missed by the Scotia Volunteer Fire Department.

Bill was an avid sportsman, often fishing with his brother Bud throughout the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Alaska, and hunting with many of his good friends.

He was the son of Edwin “Ted” Miller and Sadie Wells Miller, brother of Edwin Miller and Juanita “Suzy” Miller Taylor, all who have predeceased him. He is survived by his brother Leroy Miller, sister-in-law Avon Miller and numerous nieces and nephews, including members of the Colvin and Bauer families. He is also survived by his close friends Carlo and Linda Millsap, Pat and Marge Millsap, Samantha Millsap Green and family and Mike Bushnell.

A memorial service is planned for September 12 at the Scotia Firehall at 10 a.m.

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The obituary above was submitted by Bill Miller’s friends. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.