Rick Allen Miller

For those who cannot attend in person, Rick's service will be live streamed on First Baptist Church Commerce's Facebook page.

We are all stories, in the end. This chapter of Rick Miller’s story came to a close peacefully on the morning of April 30th, 2022 after a long illness. Richard Allen Miller (Rick to most, Ricky only to his sisters) was born to Allen and Joy Miller in Bunkie, Louisiana, on October 1st, 1952. He was raised in Pineville where he began a habit of making lifelong friends wherever he went. His family relocated to Garland, Texas his senior year in high school, where he met Belinda, the love of his life and wife of 48 years.

Through a long career of public speaking, education, and university service, Rick dedicated his life to improving the lives of others, one student at a time, whether through USC or NACA or TAMU-C. An avid Parrothead, beachcomber, scuba diver, and traveler, Rick delighted in learning new things and meeting new people, and never missed an opportunity to try and make a difference. He was a longtime deacon at First Baptist Church, Commerce, and strove always to practice what he preached. He was quick with a joke to break tension or a hug to stem grief, a crooked smile that lit up the room, and an absolutely boundless catalogue of stories to tell. He sought integrity in all things, and never set standards for others that he wasn’t willing to meet himself. His brand of leadership centered on respect, inclusion, and equity, and he lived by those principles. Even in hospice care, he had a reputation for cracking jokes and brightening the staff’s day when he could. Most importantly, he was a devoted husband, loving father, and steadfast friend. If you were among those friends, you never had to question his affection or support.

We all become stories, but our stories do not end with memorials or graves. They continue in the lives we’ve bettered and the people we love; this is merely the ending of a chapter. Carrying on from here are his wife Belinda Miller, daughter and daughter-in-law Allie and Margot Dunbar-Miller, sisters Glenda Bennet and Betty Kay Boggs, numerous beloved nieces and nephews, and countless friends.

That leaves one last challenge for us to carry forward, then. It’s been passed from Allen, to Rick, and now to all of us: every day, teach something, learn something, and make someone laugh. Trust me. It’ll make your story brighter, too.

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