Obituary of Ronald Garth Miller

Ronald Garth Miller

age 82, of Alton, Nova Scotia 

It is with heavy hearts and sadness we share the passing of Ron Miller at his home in Alton, Nova Scotia on June 16, 2025.

Born in Alton, Nova Scotia, on September 21, 1942, Ron was the son of the late Aubrey & Dorothy (Conroy) Miller. Born on a farm during WWII, he learned to care for the land and developed a sense of fortitude from a young age.

Ron spent the majority of his working career at Imperial Oil, spending several years in Toronto before moving back home, taking on an auditor role covering the territory of the Maritime Provinces, where he felt he belonged. He enjoyed his work and the adventure that came with it, developing a sense of solitude on the road, building many relationships along the way, some that lasted a lifetime. 

Shortly after relocating back to Nova Scotia and reclaiming his childhood home he grew up in, he married Miriam and they had 2 children, Jo-Lee and Andrew. 

Ron had many hobbies, interests and skills, some of which included tennis, curling, golfing, fishing, camping, hunting, old cars & motorcycles. He always enjoyed a little competition with his friends. From the age of 20, he rarely went a day without exercise. 

Ron loved photography. He spent more time behind the camera than in front of it and was interested in all of the detail in life that often goes unnoticed or underappreciated. He captured many moments that brought awareness to the beauty of nature and was capable of inspiring a sense of awe that he felt the earth deserved. He spent much of his retirement in nature and loved the outdoors, whether it be at his woodlot or at his camp, in a canoe on a quiet lake, or out adventuring backroads on the trail bikes or ATVs. He loved the community of Alton.

He didn’t need the fanciest or newest things to be happy. He had a particular love for history and heritage. Whether it was searching for records of something through the library archives or in later years getting cozy in front of a good history documentary, he was fascinated by the story of what came before us.

Although sometimes known as introverted, Ron was a very genuine, kind and thoughtful man, those who knew him well found him very easy to talk to. Often heard whistling or humming a tune sung by Vince Gill, Lacy Dalton, or a song  he’d just heard on the radio, it spoke to his lighthearted philosophy of life. He was an honest man with a sense of humor that made it easy to relax and not take life too seriously. His philosophy for getting through tough times was “Roll on”, as his favorite musician JJ Cale would say.

Ron’s children and grandchild were his greatest source of joy. He adored his children and they adored him. His granddaughter was always giggling to Grampie’s crow calls on the front porch.

Ron is survived by his daughter, Jo-Lee (Shaun); son, Andrew; granddaughter, Amber; former wife and friend, Miriam Kaiser; sister, Patsy Lee; nieces Cara, Allura, Stacey, Kathy and Ann-Marie, along with a host of other family members and friends.

Besides his parents, Aubrey & Dot, he was predeceased by his brother, Robert, and his nephews Kirk & Kelly Maloney. 

Cremation has taken place under the direction of Ettinger’s Funeral Homes. A service will be held on July 7^th 2025 at 1:30pm, at Pine Grove Cemetery in East Stewiacke, where his parents and brother are also laid to rest. Those who knew Ron are welcome to join. 

Donations in lieu of flowers for Ron can be made to Birds Canada & Project FeederWatch, an organization devoted to the protection of birds, a cause Ron regularly donated to that was near and dear to his heart. 

Tributes, words of comfort and memories of Ron may be shared with the family at: www.ettingerfuneralhome.com

The ineffable heroism of Brent Delaney will never be forgotten.