Joseph Francis Miller
1949-2024
We lost our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Joseph Miller, on November 15th, 2024, and Guemes Island lost a true friend and advocate. He passed away peacefully and quietly, surrounded by family and friends.
He was born in 1949 in Seattle to Helen and Lynn Miller, the third of nine children. Many of his siblings remember him as their protector, the person who would stand up for them, even at a young age. He overcame incredible adversity in early life, was on his own from age 13, and became a true “self-made man.”
He attended high school at Saint Edward Seminary and Seattle University.
In his twenties, he worked as an octopus fisherman in Dungeness, which began his lifelong fascination with octopus and sea life.
He and his first wife, Joan, moved to Guemes in 1979 with daughter Clarity and had a son, Asa. They lived in a partially built log cabin on a 5-acre parcel on No Name Road. Joseph finished the house, making and building nearly every part of it, including furniture, cabinets, floors, and deck. He loved his children and built them a waterslide for the hot summers, helped Asa build a wooden airplane on the back deck at age 6, and made Clarity a home for her many guinea pigs.
He had many jobs, including making ceramic tiles (which are in houses all over the San Juans), knife making, and later a graphic design business. To start the graphic design business, he bought a computer, possibly the first one on the island. People would come by the house to watch Joseph work on it. He became the island go-to for computer issues for anyone who needed a hand.
In 1996, Joseph met Sue Roberts, and they created an inspiring life together on Guemes, surrounded by creative family and friends, as well as a wonderful island community. Sue was drawn to Joseph’s quick sense of humor, intelligence, and that he truly cared about people and the world around him.
He was also a stubborn and determined person and would rarely let anyone do anything for him. He did not like having his photo taken and would go to great lengths to avoid it. He was also incredibly kind to his family, friends, and strangers. After his death, stories poured in from islanders about times he had come to their aid or offered advice.
Many people did not realize that Joseph had had cancer for the last 10 years—he was adamant about keeping it private. He wanted to continue to live his life on his terms and didn’t want people to see him as his illness. He outlived his prognosis by five years, probably due to his extreme stubbornness.
One incredible talent Joseph had was the ability to make or build anything or learn how to make or build anything. He had a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning. He had a deep love of art and loved watching artists at work.
He loved boats and being out on the water, beach combing for bones and skulls with May, building Legos and playing Uno with Avi, driving the golf cart around the island with Lulu, and visiting with Cypress when he was in the hospital. He loved doing science and baking projects with all the grandkids and encouraged their passion for exploration.
Joseph is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Clarity (Ben), son Asa (Kat), grandkids May, Lulu, and Aviel, his sisters, Margaret, Laurie, Kathy, Lisa, Maureen, and brothers, Gordon, Tom, and Jay. He was preceded in death by his grandson, Cypress.
In honor of Joseph’s beloved grandson Cypress, who left this world too soon, donations can be made in Joseph’s name to Foxboxes.org or a charity of your choice.