Tehachapi News

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William “Bill” E. Miller was born March 21, 1934 in Missoula Mont., the only child of B. F. and Pearl (Gustafson) Miller. He graduated from Anaconda High School in 1952 and attended the University of Montana.

He married Nancy Teel on August 14, 1954 in Missoula. He had met her on a blind date while he was still in high school.

He came to Southern California for more education and to work, but was drafted into the Army. His Army service was primarily spent in El Paso, Texas, after which he returned to Southern California.

His first son, Kenney, was born in Los Angeles and passed away in Tehachapi in 1997. His second son, Karl, was born soon after he moved to Simi Valley. The three fellows did a lot of hunting, fishing and especially motorcycle racing together. Many weekends were spent in the desert with the whole family and the motorcycles. They were quite pleased one year when they each won the 5th place in their respective class (Bill's was in the old timers class).

After working in the parts department of different automobile dealerships in the San Fernando Valley, he retired and moved to Stallion Springs in 1994. He had taken up a hobby of wood carving, and carved and painted ducks and other wildlife. He joined the Gallery N Gifts and also sold his beautiful carvings at shows around Southern California. He eventually had to give this up, as the Peripheral Neuropathy made his hands too numb to do the work.

In 2000 he got together with an old friend who was looking for a driver for The Great Race. This is a cross country race for old cars that takes about two weeks. He enjoyed that so much that he got his own car, a 1936 Ford coupe, and the next two years he drove it in The Great Race. After that he joined the Tehachapi Car Club, and enjoyed going to events with other club members. 

For 30 years Bill and Nancy have enjoyed travel, taking many European trips over the years. Most of the trips were self-planned, going by car, train, bus, or even on foot. But as the neuropathy limited Bill's mobility, the last few years saw them on some cruises, with a Baltic cruise in 2007 the last that they took. He very much enjoyed the planning and planting around his retirement home in Stallion Springs. 

Diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer in 2006, he continued going and doing everything right up until the last month. He passed away Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008.

He is survived by his wife Nancy of Tehachapi, son Karl, daughter-in-law Kim, grandsons Garret and Logan, all of Simi Valley, brother-in-law Nick Teel and wife Sandy, of Whittier, and nieces Julie Dettman, of Sonora and Cindy Teel, of La Mesa.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Neuropathy Association, or The American Cancer Society, or Optimal Hospice, in his memory.

A memorial service will be held at the Stallion Springs Community Church, 18180 St. Andrews Dr. on Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. Wood Family Funeral Service handled the arrangements.