“The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.” ~ E.L. Bulwer
A Tribute to John Miller — 1939 – 2026
“He was known as a motivator on the field and in the classroom. Generations of student-athletes benefited from his discipline, encouragement, and unwavering belief in their potential. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored as Seattle Times/Seattle P-I Man of the Year, received Seattle Prep’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and was inducted into the Seattle Prep Hall of Fame. ~ Seattle Times
When I recently attended a reunion at Seattle Prep my mind was flooded with memories of the many teachers who helped me make it through some very difficult times. One such teacher was John Miller.
Mr. Miller helped me navigate through the minefield of high school without blowing myself up which, for me, was — a real possibility.
In hindsight, I think most of us would agree that teachers are among the most important people we’ll ever encounter. They are uniquely positioned to be there when we most need someone to — be there.
Yet, how often are they thanked?
Here’s a letter I wrote Mr. Miller in October of 2022.
💐
Dear Mr. Miller,
It’s hard to believe so many decades have passed since I was one of your students in Contemporary History at Seattle Prep. We may have all gotten old now, but for me so many memories of those days are as fresh as if I lived them yesterday.
Like the time you tore a Seattle phone book in two to get our attention.
It worked !!!
I never was quite as engaged in a course as I was in your class.
What I remember most about you was how much you individually cared about the young men you coached and taught.
I’m sure there were other guys, like me, who you helped navigate through difficult periods.
So I don’t want the curtain drawn before you hear a BIG THANK YOU for having faith in me — when I had lost all faith in myself.
It was my freshman year when I entered a free fall. My dad had died the year before and I was trapped in a boiling stew of conflicting emotions:
- grief
- fear
- anger
Mostly, I felt alone, lost and abandoned, and at the bay of my feelings.
I raged through my freshman year on a rampage, like a young bull elephant breaking everything in my path. My grades were bad, my conduct worse, and my attitude contentious.
I remember the school administration regretted ever admitting me. It seemed clear to all I was more suited for a reform school than a prep school.
It wasn’t long before I was summoned to the principal’s office and got the news I would not be invited back for my sophomore year. I was being expelled!
That’s when you entered the picture, Mr. Miller.
You were precisely the big, strong, mature male elephant I needed to reign me in and help me join the herd.
You settled me down and focused my energies on academics and extracurricular activities. You took a genuine interest and saw things in me I couldn’t / wouldn’t see in myself.
You built me up when I felt torn down.
You took time to throw a football and run laps with me at the Queen Anne Bowl.
It mattered so much to me that you saw the real me and not just a delinquent.
Then, when you actually stood up for me before the faculty and defended the A you gave me in your class, it was like a miracle.
No one I could remember had come to my defense before.
It wasn’t long before others were persuaded and the administration relented and announced I WOULD be invited back for my sophomore year.
It was at that point:
- My attitude toward life began to change.
- I began to believe I did belong at Prep and could excel.
- I believed I was worthy of the faith you had placed in me.
In the ensuing years I proved that I belonged and made my own unique mark at Prep.
As I look back, nearly 60 years later, I recognize something very significant happened then. You threw a drowning young man a life preserver.
For that, Mr. Miller, I’m deeply indebted to you.
Goodbye, Mr. Miller. You’ll never be forgotten.
Pat Moriarty,
Seattle Prep ‘67