In loving Memory of Raymond Lee Miller
Born March 19, 1949 in Norfolk, VA. Passed away Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.
He was a Vietnam Veteran. He went into the Army at 17 years of age and after basic training he was stationed in Germany. He volunteered for duty in Vietnam when he turned 18, and remained there until his tour was finished. He was very proud to serve his country.
He met the love of his life, Mary Lynn (Charlie) Kloster in March of 1974 and have been together ever since. They were married September 20, 1980 in Lewiston, Idaho.
In 1981, Ray and his wife moved back to Nampa, Idaho until they made their home in Bruneau, Idaho in 2000. They purchased the laundromat in Grand View, Idaho. Ray did all the maintenance work on the washers and dryers. After 17 years, Ray decided it was time to retire because of health reasons so it was sold in July 2021.
Ray had a favorite song and when we went to play pool, the gang in the establishment would play “Rockstar” by Nickleback and Ray would sing it and tell everyone “I want to be a Rockstar.” so everyone gave him the nickname Rockstar. They would always tease him about being a Rockstar. He was my Rockstar.
He was a mechanic by trade and could fix anything or build anything. He went to Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho and took a course in automatic transmissions to further his mechanical abilities. He really enjoyed working on vehicles.
The gold prospecting bug bit him in 1974, where while in Moscow, Idaho he would do a lot of prospecting. He was a lifetime member of The Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association and the Gold Prospectors Association of America. He also had a claim in Owyhee County that he worked whenever he could. He loved the outdoors and going to the Digger Dirt Parties at The Blue Bucket Mining Camp and Burnt River Mining Camp both in Oregon. Digger dirt parties is a common mining operation where the participants work together for a three day outing or a five day outing. Then they all get an equal split of the gold that has been found. He loved to meet people, prospect and use his metal detector and have a great time.
He was a member of the Rimrock Senior Citizens in Grand View, Idaho, and helped do things when he could.
He loved to ride motorcycles, especially his Yamaha Stryker with his wife on the back. He was a very caring person and would help people in need whenever he could. He was a great guy and will be missed.
He was very artisitic and was a good artist. He was a mechanic by trade and could make anything he set his mind to do. He made a trike conversion kit for my motorcycle using parts from other vehicles we had. He had a funny sense of humor and could make anybody laugh with his jokes and his quick wit. He could just be telling someone about something that happened to him and the way he told it make everybody laugh through the whole conversation. He also loved to show young people interested in mechanics how to fix a problem with a vehicle or answer their questions.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Louise Miller, sisters Mary Logwood, and Charlotte Futrell.
He is survived by his wife Mary Lynn (Charlie) Miller of Bruneau, Idaho. His sisters-in-law Linda (Mike) Farmer of Sunnyside, Washington, Carol Splawn of Yakima, Washington, Johanna (Ed) Montgomery of Ravensdale, Washington, and nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his brother Harvey (Theresa) Miller of Concorde, Virginia, Nieces Tammy (Jimmy) Conklin of Chesapeake, Virginia, Susan (Eric) Briggs of Portsmouth, Virginia and nephews Brian, Matthew, Jason, Jaimie and his niece Beth.
Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans or the Wounded Warrior Project.