Richard John Miller

Richard John Miller, the son of George and Adeline Miller, was born June 12, 1946, in Atwater, MN at their family farmhouse. Richard attended the Atwater schools and enlisted in the United States Navy on July 26, 1963. He had tours in Vietnam and was honorably discharged on May 16, 1967. Richard loved trucking across the country and pulled anything from step decks to reefer trailers topping well over the 1 million mile mark. Later in his career he also ran shorter "hot shot" routes with fifth wheel goosenecks. He was a concrete foreman and helped on the construction of the parking ramps at the Mall Of America. He had a stint as a painter and painted larger buildings such as hospitals and schools. When Richard, also known to some as "Walleye Dick," wasn't working he loved to fish. Chasing walleyes was his favorite and his personal best went over 12lbs. He fished several seasons as a tournament angler in different leagues such as the Cabela's Master Walleye Circuit and Minnesota Tournament Trail. His love for it never died as he fished his last tournament with one of his grandsons in his late 60's. He had a vast knowledge of fishing and loved to share tactics and stories. When he wasn't fishing or working it was a sure bet he was on a long drive looking for that special antique to add to his many collections. He liked to go out to eat and enjoyed good company. Over a hot cup of coffee, he could tell a story with the best of them and you were certainly going to have a few chuckles. They didn't call him "Tricky Dick" for nothing. Richard lived life to the fullest and left us on September 15, 2021, at the age of 75. Richard is survived by his sister Audrey Lohre; daughter Jill (Kevin) Zaeska; grandchildren: Damian (Courtney) Zaeska , Dylan (Kelsey) Zaeska, Jenna Zaeska and Noah Anderson; great-grandchildren Laila Zaeska, Camden Zaeska, Hunter Zaeska, Gauge Zaeska, Bo Zaeska, Barrett Zaeska and Oakley Jo Zaeska; and friend Lorna Peterson. A Farewell Gathering will be held at the Atwater Community Center on Saturday Oct. 30, 2021, from 2:00-5:00 PM.