His political career, which began while he was in his early 20s, lasted over two decades and was cut short by his death from lung cancer at age 46.

Not long after, he brought the rest of his family to Alaska and settled in the Davis Subdivision, about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Fairbanks.

This became the fledgling community of North Pole, where the Miller family established a trading post and general store along the Richardson Highway called the Santa Claus House in 1952.

He completed basic training at Fort Ord, then began a long stint in the National Guard.

His chief of staff as lieutenant governor was Pete Rouse, whom Miller met while both attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Rouse, in turn, recruited a young newspaper editor named Kim Elton to work in the lieutenant governor's office.

[4] Miller was involved with his family in the management of the Santa Claus House, which evolved from its humble beginnings to its modern-day incarnation as a tourist attraction centered around a Christmas-themed gift shop.

The Miller family later established a similar business in Anchorage, at the corner of the Seward Highway and O'Malley Road.

[1] In 1976 Miller married Janice Dani Bowman, MD, Phd, and had a daughter, Amanda Leslie in 1981.