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by Sue Orsen He came fast and went fast. The time in between his coming and going measured exactly ten years. Randy Miller moved to the Stieger Lake Condos of Victoria in November 2006 and became an integral part of the Victoria narrative. In November 2016, he began to experience health problems and he disappeared from the public square. It happened so fast. Ten years. The guy who knew everyone's name and how to contact people, and connect and work with people, and befriend them, was now having trouble remembering names. The disease progressed through December and January. When I emailed to see him, Randy replied back, "Give me a couple weeks. I don't feel so good right now." In mid February 2017, doctors found tumors in both lungs that had metastasized to his brain. One of the tumors in the brain had swelling around it that was causing confusion and forgetfulness. After a whirlwind of tests, the final prognosis was that Randy had Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma. Randy died on Monday, May 8th, 2017. I thought he was ageless, but he was 70. I thought he was my superior, but he was my peer. His death is a large loss to Victoria, whether you knew him or not, but most certainly to all who knew him and called him friend. I was at his bedside at Good Sam's in Waconia on May 4th. While I was there, Randy mostly slept, mumbled a little when I talked to him, and he struggled to keep his eyes open for more than a couple seconds at a time. I held his hand. His blue denim jeans laid nearby and his shoes were on the floor, as though he just stepped out of them and would soon step into them again. The thin man laid under a thin blanket and he pulled it up closer to his neck a couple times, as though he might have preferred a warmer homemade quilt. As I was saying goodbye, he suddenly became awake, alert, clearly audible, and replied, "I love you, too." Randy was involved in nearly every significant event in Victoria these past ten years. His involvement went far beyond his duties and responsibilities as President of the Victoria Business Association. He gave energy to Victoria, and Victoria gave energy to him. Along with others, Randy worked and chaired or co-chaired the Annual Discover Victoria Day, the Annual Victoria Volksfest, the Annual Art and Craft Fair, the Annual Belgian Waffle Breakfast, the Annual Victoria Fireworks, the Annual Victoria Halloween Party, the Annual Tree Lighting, the Annual Christmas in Victoria, the Summer Classic Car Nights, the Annual Victoria Golf Scramble Randy was a member of the Victoria 2015 Centennial Committee and personally pursued the commissioning of Victoria's Centennial Logo, Centennial Flag, Centennial Sculpture, and Victoria's Centennial Live Christmas Tree. Randy also attended nearly all Victoria City Council Meetings and worked with city councilmembers and city staff and many Victoria business people for special occasions, events, and grand openings. His work with the VBA also included regular Meet and Greet Coffee Hours. His volunteer work on behalf of Victoria was his full time job and involved the donation of thousands of dollars from his own pocket, which he didn't talk about. Randy's generosity to Victoria was endless. Because of all of the above and more, Randy was awarded in April 2016 with Victoria's 2015 Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award. As Mayor Tom O'Connor had stated at the award presentation, "Randy exemplifies that positive community spirit that defines Victoria. He contributes more than 1,200 hours per year to the betterment of Victoria. People have no idea how hard he works for this city." When I once asked how he supports himself, Randy gave me his business card on which he is identified as a Realtor® and Broker for Miller Real Estate Properties LLC: Land Investments and Development. It seemed part of a previous life, but it most likely contributed, along with a big heart and working spirit, to his generosity to the City and People of Victoria. At the funeral service held at the St. Victoria Catholic Church in Victoria on Tuesday, May 23rd, featured speakers included former Victoria Mayor Mary Hershberger Thun, former Victoria Mayor Tom O'Connor, and Father Bob White, longtime priest at St. Victoria. Readers included former Victoria Community Development Director Holly Kreft and Victoria Lion Chip Peglow. The Song of Reflection that, ironically, brought people to tears was "Don't Cry For Me." It was amazingly sung by Elizabeth Nowak of St. Victoria. An online photo display of Randy and his time in Victoria, as captured by the local editor, can be found in Sue's Album at VictoriaGazette.com. It's entitled "In Memory of Randy Miller." |
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June 2017 |
