Ronald Dean Miller entered into eternal life on March 13, 2025 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease and dementia, with his beloved wife, Jo, by his side.

Ron was born April 16, 1943, at Fort Riley, KS, to Ivan Bernhardt Miller, a custom home builder and woodworker, and Helen Emilie Miller, a bookkeeper. During his father's deployment to the Pacific during WWII, the family moved to Junction City, OR, when Ron was two years old. He served as senior class president at Junction City High School, where he played football, baseball, and was on the wrestling team. He attended Oregon State University School of Engineering, where he earned his B.S. in Production Technology. During his university years he fulfilled his boyhood dream of obtaining his private pilot license – a love he never gave up.

After graduation, Ron entered Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, FL, where he earned his wings in 1967. His first duty station was Lemoore Naval Air Station, where he flew the A-4 Skyhawk with the VA-144 Roadrunners. In 1969, the squadron deployed with USS Bon Homme Richard to the waters of Vietnam. In 1970, he married Jo Ellen Snyder at the Lemoore NAS chapel. They spent their newlywed years in Albuquerque, NM, where Ron was assigned to the Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility as a Project Officer flying A-4s and the A-7 Corsair II. Their son, Todd Eric, was born in Albuquerque three weeks before the Navy sent Ron back to Lemoore to be stationed with the VA-22 Flying Redcocks. He made two deployments with VA-22 aboard the USS Coral Sea, and their daughter, Dina Michele, was born at Lemoore NAS hospital between the two.

New orders took Ron to Washington, DC, as a Staff Officer for the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel. During this tour, he flew training flights using the Navy's "proficiency flying" program and in his personal time, he received his multi-engine rating and glider/tow pilot rating, which kept him happily in the air since he jokingly said he was "flying a desk" during his DC assignment.

Ron's next sea duty tour was flying A-7s with the VA-93 Ravens aboard the USS Midway, which was forward deployed at Yokosuka Naval Station, Japan. He was a Designated Combat Strike and Division Flight Leader and had collateral duties as Operations, Maintenance, and Safety Officer. Following this tour, he was Operations Officer at Cubi Point Naval Air Station, Republic of the Philippines, and then Operations Officer at Naval Weapons Center China Lake, CA, where he retired from active duty as a Commander in 1986.

While in the Navy, he was a Military Aide for the Mondale family during the Carter inauguration and notably flew one of the last missions over Saigon, was involved in the Mayaguez incident, and flew air support in the Persian Gulf during the Iranian hostage crisis.

Ron's decorations and service ribbons while in the Navy include: National Defense Service Medal; Navy Rifle Marksman Ribbon; Pistol Expert Ribbon; Vietnam Service Medal with 2 bronze stars; Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Meritorious Unit Commendation (Gallantry Cross with Palm); Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 2 bronze stars; Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal with 2 bronze stars; Navy "E" Ribbon; Navy Expeditionary Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and 2 bronze stars.

Upon his retirement from the Navy, Ron and his family moved to Albuquerque, NM, where he flew with Ross Aviation before being hired by Continental Airlines and then United Airlines, where he flew the Airbus A-319/320. He retired as a Captain from United in 2003 and went to work for Bode Aviation, where he was a charter pilot and flew reconnaissance for the U.S. Forest Service. He also flew recreationally as part owner of a Citabria and a Mooney. In Ron's 50+ years of military and civilian aviation, he flew more than 20,000 hours in over 25 different aircraft.

Ron loved to travel and spend time with his family. His other passions were working in his shop, fly fishing, camping, and hiking. He was a member of Trout Unlimited, The Association of Naval Aviation, Skyhawk Association, Tailhook Association, Airline Owners & Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, and was a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award.

He is survived by his wife Jo; his son Todd Miller (Hillary); his daughter Dina Morrow; his four grandchildren, Mackenzie and Everett Morrow, and Harper and Dean Miller; his brother Alvin Miller (Rita) and sister Shirley Owen (Dennis), and by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, his dear Aunt Joan, and friends from all around the world.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, October 27, 2025 at 11:00am at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery, 204 Arlington Ave, Fort Myer, VA 22211. Interment will follow. He was loved and respected by all who knew him and he will be forever missed.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Parkinson's Foundation, Alzheimer's Foundation, or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.