Daniel Raymond Miller

Daniel Raymond Miller, formerly of Ottoville, passed away October 31 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Linda, the love of his life, wife of 34 years, partner and caregiver, was by his side.

When life brings disease into it, a person can choose to let it consume them, or fight it to keep their quality of life. Dan was such a man, who fought until his last day. He was truly an example of how to live.

Dan was thoughtful and detailed in everything he did – and collegial with everyone he met.  Two weeks before he passed, he shared with his family a six-page note on the things most meaningful to him.  It was titled, “I am blessed.”

Dan was an accomplished engineer and held a patent for his work earned during a distinguished 39-year career with the world’s leading chemical company, BASF.

During his career, he built and ran chemical plants in Louisiana, and subsequently lead health and safety programs from posts in Germany and New Jersey, traveled to five continents and trained engineers from around the world.  He excelled at what he did, being named a Fellow of the Center for Chemical Process Safety – one of the organization’s highest honors – and was selected by the American Chemistry Council to train engineers industry-wide.

While in Ludwigshafen, he became fluent in German, perhaps aided by his family’s Germanic heritage. An expression Dan loved, “Immer geradeaus!” or literally “always straight ahead” typified his life philosophy.

At his heart, he was an adventurer and risk-taker – carrying a wanderlust gene he shared with Linda and  which he said he inherited from his parents, Ray and Ruth.

Dan jumped out of planes, crewed and flew in hot air balloons, scuba-dived the Great Barrier Reef, and skied some of the most challenging slopes in the U.S. and Europe.  He prized the beauty of this “big blue marble” from high above and below its surface.

He was a proud honors graduate of Ottoville High School and earned his engineering degree from the University of Toledo.  While he had long left Ottoville, it was always his home. The values he gained there -- honesty, integrity, respect, self-sufficiency and a strong work ethic -- never left him. Nor did his love of family – which included dozens of first cousins.

He met Linda while vacationing and it was love at first sight.  Even though they lived in different cities, soon they became inseparable and married in 1988 in Baton Rouge. He loved that he and Linda became “confident and competent” ballroom dancers. Dance became an integral part of their lives.

He also developed a passion for cooking – savoring Lenten perch fries in Ottoville, learning to enjoy Cajun food while living in Louisiana, and experimenting with unfamiliar dishes such as calves kidneys in Paris or Matjesfilet (herring) in Germany.

Ultimately, Dan and Linda retired to Bluffton, South Carolina, where Dan became a talented wildlife and nature photographer. He also enjoyed golf – having walked the links of St. Andrews and then played more as his leisure time grew during retirement.  Dan and Linda planned to continue traveling the world until Dan’s illness, unfortunately, changed their plans.

Dan is pre-deceased by his dad Ray and survived by his mom, Ruth Miller (Ottoville), his brothers Rick (Anne) (Cincinnati), Tony (Columbus), Tom  (Tina) (Tipp City, OH), Al (Cindi)  (Willshire, OH) and Brian (Dorcas) (Spartanburg, SC), and nieces and nephews Haley, Tyler, Lauren, Carson, Shane, Megan, Chelsey, Leigh, Kyle, Nolan, Seth and Ian, as well as five great nieces and nephews. With Linda, he loved his family pets, cocker spaniels Abby and Bailey, and their cat, Susie.

Graveside services will be held on December 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Ottoville, officiated by his cousin, Fr. Kent Kaufman, and by Fr. George Mahas, pastor of Ottoville Immaculate Conception. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center , which provided incredible care and personal support,  or to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network , which helped Dan and Linda throughout his illness and for which he raised thousands of dollars to further bladder cancer research.  Dan and Linda also are grateful for the care provided by Amedisys Hospice.

Dan asked that the hymn “Be Not Afraid” be sung at his service.  It was how Dan approached life and welcomed his Savior when he passed.

You led an amazing and caring life, Dan.  We miss you.

Immer geradeaus.

Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network
Web: https://bcan.org

The Medical University of SC
Web: https://webmusc.edu