Glen Allen Miller

Devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend Glen Allen Miller passed away on December 23, 2023, after a 13-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by five children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Glen was 93 years old, spending his final days surrounded by family and the exceptional hospice staff at the Veterans Administration's Community Living Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

The youngest and last survivor of 13 children, Glen was born August 22, 1930, to Robert Eli and Naomi Italy (Cook) Miller at their home along the Clinch River in Union County, Tennessee. In 1933, construction started on Norris Dam, which would subsequently flood the Clinch River Valley, so the TVA displaced the Miller family and relocated their farm to a new plot near Lenoir City. After graduating from Lenoir City High School in 1947, he enrolled at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in geology.

Upon graduation in 1953, he worked briefly for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) before being drafted by the U.S. Army, reporting to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for basic training. In 1954 he was deployed to Korea where he served with military readiness after the recently declared cease-fire, instructing front line troops in the use of newly developed cold weather survival gear.

After completing his tour of duty in Korea in 1955, he moved to Grand Junction to research uranium reserves in western Colorado and eastern Utah for the USGS. At this time, he met the love of his life, Charlotte Ann Busey of Paonia, Colorado. In 1958, during their courtship, the USGS transferred Glen to Santa Barbara, California, where Charlotte joined him after their wedding in Grand Junction on November 8, 1959. There, the couple began their family in 1962 by welcoming daughter Denise. A brief move to Huntington Beach welcomed Melanie. Glen was then relocated to Anaheim where the family welcomed Mark, Greg, and Keith. During these years, Glen's work required him to spend days and weeks at a time away from his young family, performing groundwater research throughout various areas of the Mojave Desert.

In 1975, Glen took an assignment with the USGS's Oil Shale Office in Grand Junction, where Glen was able to spend more time with his family at their new home on the Redlands. He was very resourceful and could fix most anything on his vehicles or around the house, giving his children a role model for self-sufficiency. He encouraged his children to join Scouts to further instill the values of self-reliance and service to others. His two daughters were active in Girl Scouts during their youth, and each of his three sons (and grandson Brandon) earned the rank of Eagle Scout. For many years Glen served in leadership positions for Boy Scout Troop 328, sharing his appreciation of the outdoors with younger generations. He was a quiet leader, often behind the scenes, and was always focused on achieving results rather than drawing attention to himself. In 2008 he was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award from the Western Colorado Council for his exceptional character and lifetime of distinguished service to the Boy Scouts.

His desire to give back extended to other service-oriented groups in the Grand Valley. He was a lifetime emeritus member of Club 20, and an active member of the Redlands Rotary Club for nearly 48 years. He was involved with Partners, the Isaac Walton League, Ducks Unlimited, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

In 1986, after the oil shale bust, Glen began work as a consultant, specializing in soil and groundwater analysis throughout the Western Slope. His extensive independent survey in the 1990s and 2000s of the vast resources of the Piceance Basin, especially with regard to U.S. energy independence, resulted in testifying at a 2006 Congressional hearing, and presenting his findings at the Colorado School of Mines' Oil Shale Symposiums in 2013 and 2015.

Aside from pursuing his independent research, Glen enjoyed his retirement with his wife of 63 years, whom he described on many occasions as "the world's greatest cook" and "the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." His hobbies and pastimes were myriad, and included photography, gardening, reading, working crossword puzzles, hunting, fishing, competitive shooting, tuning in daily to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, taking scenic drives, walking in Sherwood Park, attending Sunday Bible study classes at The Rock Church, attending weekly Rotary lunch meetings, and enjoying coffee and spirited conversation with good friends at Einstein Bagels, Main Street Bagels, and the Wednesday veterans coffee group. He especially enjoyed attending his grandchildren's sporting events and cheering them on. A lifelong dog lover, he was fond of his labrador retrievers and "grandpups." As a "displaced Tennessean" Glen was fiercely proud of his Miller family heritage and regularly recounted genealogical history, and remembrances and tales of his youth, to his children and grandchildren. He attended annual family reunions in Tennessee to spend time with his siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

As a father, Glen consistently demonstrated hard work and a kind and gentle demeanor while remaining firm and fair, instilling in his children the values of integrity and a strong work ethic. He regularly took advantage of teachable moments for his kids, keen to impart a calm and even-minded perspective on life at each turn. He loved every visit with his grown children, his grandchildren, and their children. The last years of his life were spent in his home with family by his side every day. He was cherished and is profoundly missed.

Preceded in death by his parents, 12 older siblings, and his beloved wife Charlotte on May 31, 2023, Glen is survived by daughters Denise Miller and Melanie Storter (David Storter) of Grand Junction; and sons Mark Miller (Sandy Miller) of Fruita, Colorado, Gregory Miller of Montrose, Colorado, and Keith Miller of Champaign, Illinois. He is also survived by his grandchildren Patrick Petersen-Miller (Jessie Petersen) and Jeremy Storter (Kelsey Storter), all of Denver, Colorado; Marshal Miller of Grand Junction; Kaylynn Osburn (Billy Osburn) of Grand Junction; Callie Storter of Clearwater, Florida; Brandon Miller of Fruita, Colorado; and Valerie Miller of Champaign, Illinois. Great-granddaughters are Dahlia Petersen of Denver and Opal Osburn of Grand Junction, and great-grandson Rael Osburn of Grand Junction. Survivors also include Glen's many cousins, nieces, and nephews from his Tennessee lineage.

Glen's family invites you to celebrate his life and legacy on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in the Mezzanine of The Avalon Theatre in Grand Junction. A private family burial service including full military honors will be held Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at Riverside Cemetery in Hotchkiss, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Glen's memory to: the Voluntary Services Office of the Grand Junction Veterans Administration Medical Center; Boy Scout Troop 328; or the Redlands Rotary Club.