Royce Miller, 73, unexpectedly passed away the morning of May 25th at his home in Albany.

Royce was one of 7 children born to Alfance and Martha Miller June 24, 1949 in Balfour, North Dakota. He was the youngest boy amongst 4 brothers and 2 sisters earning him the title of the baby in the family, until his younger sister was born nearly ten years later.. At an early age, the family moved to Dallas, Oregon where he grew up until he went off to college. As a child he was very involved in Boy Scouts and the local church. After graduating from Dallas High School in 1967, Royce went on to earn a bachelor's degree in math and master's of arts in teaching from the Oregon College of Education (OCE) in Monmouth, OR. Go Wolves!

While at OCE, he met the love of his life, Jan (Lemley) Miller and were married 3 days after his 21st birthday in 1970. Royce and Jan would've been celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary in June. His first job after graduating was teaching math at Jefferson High School. It was then that they moved to Albany where they have lived ever since. Royce taught at Jefferson for his entire 34 year career before retiring in 2004. Go Lions! Throughout his career he invested time in the students coaching a variety of sports, activities, and served as a chaperone on the CloseUp trips to Washington DC many times. When he wasn't coaching, he was still often found in the gym or on the field, cheering on the mighty Lions.

Royce and Jan had two children, Angie Luckenbach and Ryan Miller born in 1973 and 1976 respectively. As a proud parent, he attended nearly all of their sporting and school events. Royce and Jan enjoyed spending time with their 3 grandkids, Kambria (23) and Sabrina (21) Luckenbach, and Henry Miller (12). They loved camping in their RV (aka: Little House) and taking trips to visit friends and family across the western states.

Royce was preceded in passing by his father Al, mother Martha, brothers Tim and Roger, and sister Rachel. He is survived by his brothers Vern and Jerry, and sister Debby. As well as his wife Jan and two children and their spouses Angie and Jason, and Ryan and Elisha, and three grandchildren Kambria, Sabrina, and Henry. A memorial service is planned for June 11th at 3:00pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. 1910 34th Ave SE, Albany, OR 97322. A reception will follow at the same location.