Coach Miller's Team

12/23/2023

07/04/2017

My sweet brother, Coach Rich Miller, you have been gone 4 years today.
You fought such a hard 15 month battle before you went to be with the Lord.
The one thing I remember most that you told me just days before you passed is that you just wanted to raise your children a little bit longer.. broke my heart.
Your children, nieces, nephews, and the rest of us miss you and love you every single day! You touched so many young hearts in your teaching and coaching endeavors and you are sadly missed by all!
We will treasure the memories we had with you until we meet again ❤
In memory of
Coach Rich Miller
1967 - 2013
❤
I love you so much,
Linda

04/12/2017

I guess there was a National Siblings day a few days ago and i didn't know until late and was unable to post, but, I want to say it has been almost 4 years since my brother Coach Rich Miller passed away and I miss him more than ever. He was the best brother anyone could have and he would give you the shirt off his back. He loved teaching kids and had an amazing gift. Most importantly, he loved Jesus and there is no doubt he is in that city resting peacefully. I won't write any metaphors how he watches over us because I live in the real world. There is no pain or suffering in heaven so why would he be looking down on a world filled with pain and suffering? God wouldn't allow an ounce of pain to enter into that city and I am glad it is that way. Rest in peace my brother. See you in just a little while.

08/03/2016

This day in 2012 I was at my primary care doctor with bronchitis, feeling pretty yucky, just when my Dr came in the room my cell phone rang - it was WVU, I HAD to answer because I KNEW it was the results of the DNA testing to see if I was a match to donate bone marrow to my brother Coach Rich Miller. I was NOT a match (there's was only a 25 percent chance a sibling can be a match), NOR was my youngest brother John. With a feeling of total helplessness, disappointment and heartbreak, I just burst into tears!

My doctor who had initially thought it was a little bit rude for me to take a call since he had just entered the room, surmised from my conversation just how devastating whatever news I'd just received must have been. Once I regained a bit of composure, he was very very caring and talked to me ever so sweetly about how we sometimes just have to accept what life throws at us, as difficult as that may be, because God Always has a plan for each of us and it's not always what we might wish was.

I look back now and see that yes, God had a plan for me too that very day. Had I received that call at home, alone, feeling so ill (or even if I'd been well), with no one around to help gently bring me back to my grip on reality with such kind words of encouragement, I honestly don't know How I'd have handled it.

God is so good and I thank him for leading me to someone that day that would offer comfort when I got that terrible call, even though it meant I had to be so sick to have even gone there. God knew where I needed to be, He always knows where we need to be, we just need to be still, listen and let him lead us.

My brother, Rich, did get a bone marrow transplant but passed away a little over 7 months later due to a lung infection he could not fight even though they threw every antibiotic and antifungal at it they could think of - all due to being on Anti Rejection meds that weakened his Immune system beyond repair.

I love you with all my heart little brother! There are no words to describe how my heart hurts because I've missed you so terribly these last 3 years since you've been gone. My only comfort is knowing that you are with the Lord and your suffering is over. But what I wouldn't give to look at that sweet face of yours and to be able to give the the tightest hug my little arms could manage! Until we meet again little brother, just know I will always love and miss you every day of my life ❤

Linda

10/24/2015

Happy 48th Birthday in Heaven to my precious brother Coach Rich Miller

My heart misses you more than words can say. You went to be with the Lord 2 1/2 years ago and I still pick up my phone to text you when I think of something you'd find funny and then I remember..

I'm thankful you are no longer suffering that long difficult battle with Leukemia, I also know that you are in a better place than this wicked world, but what I wouldn't give for one last visit with you.

I love you little brother and long for the day we meet again

Linda

07/04/2015

In loving memory of my precious brother

RICHARD K MILLER JR
10/23/67 - 7/3/2013

Coach Rich Miller went home to be with the Lord 2 years ago today, after a difficult 15 month battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Rich, I love you, miss you and think of you everyday. I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful loving brother. You had such a generous heart. You are, by far, the best man I've ever known. You were a loving and devoted son, father, brother, uncle, friend to many, teacher (at Wayne Middle School), & coach. You are loved and missed by more people than I can count. One day we will meet again in heaven, until then, my heart will always be broken without you.
You were so awesome with kids, I know my children love you and wish they could give you one last hug, you were really there for them to lend an ear through their teen years and after, when they needed a father figure since their daddy passed away when they were so little.. You really knew how to reach kids as I'm sure all the kids you taught and coached through the years could attest to, as well as your own children.
Thank you Rich for being the loving, kind and generous man that you were.

Until we meet again in heaven...

Your loving sister,
Linda
Coach Miller's Team

06/21/2015

Happy Father's Day
in Heaven ❤
You are loved and missed so much!

My precious brother
RICHARD K MILLER JR
1967 - 2013

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
- II Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)

10/23/2014

My brother, Coach Rich Miller, tomorrow is your 47th birtday (10/23/1967 - 07/03/2013), my grief has caused me to ramble on, im usually much better with words, but im speaking from a broken heart,… .
I know you will be enjoying it in Heaven for the 2nd year in a row - I also know that you are happy as the bible says, there are no tears in Heaven ♡
For those of us, your coworkers, friends & family, it seems like only yesterday that you lost your battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)...
I'm grateful that you suffer no more, but we miss you here on earth--there is a hole in our hearts since you went home to Heaven to be with God. You are in a better place, but we think of you every single day (still) . we thought you were getting better after your bone marrow transplant and yet you passsed away 9 short months after..
I even said to you when you were unconcious, that last night, that you could go if it was getting too hard on you to fight, but as per your wishes we let the doctors do everything possible to keep you alive, but the unkown type of pneumonia or graft verses host disease (one or both - GVHD is rejection of the stem cells from the transplant) was just more than your tired litle body could handle. I still wish you could have made it through :(
Knowing you were a christian, to this day gives me peace of mind, but, I still pray for you, that God will take good care of you because I Know you are with him ♡
That whole first year after you passed on 7/3/2013 I think i was in shock I guess, the fact that you were gone and I couldnt even send you a silly text like we used to, broke my heart & the last 6 months or so, I've finally allowed myself to cry & grieve instead of pretending in my mind that you were still 3 hours away at your home (not a good way to handle grief but it got me thru that first year. These last 6 months ive allowed myself to feel the pain of your loss, and, I get by just minute by minute - I know I told you before and again many times as you fought that 15 month battle, that I Love You with all of my heart. But ill pray tonight and ask God to please tell you just once more How much we all still Love & miss your sweet face!
Sissy loves you Rich and thats forever!
Linda Miller

07/04/2014

July 4th, 2014

Yesterday evening, on the One Year Anniversary of Coach Rich Miller's passing, we went to the cemetery at dusk to visit Rich's grave.
His wife Kim, his son Scottie, me (Rich's sister) and my grandson Braydon, went together.
We went at dusk and took a candle and a few things to decorate his grave.
I've included a couple of pics of Rich's headstone. The grass has grown in nicely (a little hard to see at dusk) and where he is layed to rest is quite a lovely place (its about 2 miles from where he grew up on Buffalo and his grave overlooks where our grandparents house used to stand. Being a Buffalo Creek boy, he's right where he'd want to be and resting next to our dad - Richard K. Miller Sr. Who passed in 2008 - and only a few feet away from our grandparents) .

When visiting a grave, it is said that if a butterfly lands on you that it is the Lords way of acknowledging your presence and to comfort you in some small way.. Whether you believe that the Lord can give you signs of acknowledement or comfort or not .. I wanted to share with you what happened..

On the short drive there, I had told Kim and the boys about it (it had happened to someone I knew, and she had felt it was a sign that the Lord knew she was there & that comforted her. Although it was very unlikely to happen bc butterflies usually don't come out at dusk or after dark, however, the Lord can do anything )..

We lit the candle, and one by one, we each took a turn spending a few moments alone at Rich's graveside to speak our heart and/or to say a little prayer, while the rest of us sat on the benches under the little shelter where we have church services every year.
As we we were getting ready to leave, we then blew out the candle (so as not to start a forest fire!), we were getting ready to walk to the car when a beautiful bright green Luna Moth (or Moon Moth) fluttered around us and landed on my shoulder. After a few moments it landed on Scottie (Rich's youngest), then fluttered around my grandson, and Kim (Rich's wife) and came to rest right over her broken heart! If anyone is familiar with these beautiful nocturnal moths, then you know how unusual it is for them to land on humans, in fact, one rarely even sees them.. One could take this little happening however they want, I am not trying to convince you it was anything more than just that.. However, we choose to take it as a sign that the Lord was acknowledging our presence and letting us know that He truly knew we were there, grieving, & it gave us comfort. Here are a few pics with the young Luna Moth (I say young, bc they grow to twice or three times this size) as it was visiting with us.There are no lights at the small family cemetery to have attracted it (other than the light of the moon and the candle we had already blown out several minutes before as we prepared to leave). It was an amazing experience for us :)
---Luna Moths represent a short life and immortality - and Rich was taken too soon (age 45), but has eternal life with the Lord--- hmmm..

We love and miss you so much Rich 💔
You were a blessing to everyone and an awesome human being! And as we were leaving your graveside, we truly felt blessed ourselves as we felt it was the the Lord showing us he had acknowleded our presence and grief in a small but beautiful way when the Luna Moth came to visit us and landed on 3 of us.

"To be absent from the body is to be present with Lord."
God is good (All the time)! Until we meet again little brother.. on that beautiful shore.. What a day that will be!

Richard K. Miller Jr.
(Coach Rich Miller)
10/23/1967 - 7/3/2013

💙

Linda

07/03/2014

July 3, 2014

Sadly, today marks the
One Year Anniversay
of the passing of my brother, Coach Rich Miller.
Coach Miller bravely fought a difficult 15 month long battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemima (ALL). He is survived by his wife, 4 children, his mother, one brother, and myself (his sister). He was only 45 years old.
As most of you know, Rich was a teacher and Coach at Wayne Middle School in Wayne WV. He was loved and admired by his family, students and coworkers. He was an amazing role model for his children and the children of the community. We all feel the void where there was once a kind, generous, loving and humble soul that is/was Coach Rich Miller.
We love you Rich, you are sadly missed, not just by family, but by all who were blessed to know you.

Rich, words usually come easy to me, but as I continue to grieve your loss, my heart is still so broken that even though I cannot find the words to express the hurt and the longing to see your face, to hear your voice, or to even get a silly text from you, I hope that these few words will honor you & your memory in some small way.. until we meet again on that beautiful shore little brother, I love you and will forever keep you in my broken heart 💔

linda