Tribute

PETER MILLER
May 1, 1922 – November 5, 2009

Peter Miller was born in Oravsky Biely Potok, Czechoslovakia on May 1, 1922. He moved to Canada as a
boy with his family when he was about 6 years old. His family settled in Nakusp, BC where Peter lived
and studied until WWII, when he signed up with the Canadian armed forces. He served in the Canadian
Signal Corps until the end of the war.
After the war, he took advantage of the program for Veterans that allowed him to go to university. He
wanted to be an engineer, and he chose to study Chemical Engineering at UBC. He graduated in 1952.
In May 1953 he married Naomi Allsebrook, a nursing graduate from UBC. With Peter’s engineering work
they lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Peter decided to switch to teaching, and returned to UBC to earn his teaching degree. His career as a
Physics teacher was in BC: first Salmo, then Crawford Bay and Terrace. He spent his final 15 years of
teaching in Golden, BC. In Golden, Peter and Naomi were instrumental in the creation of the Golden
Museum.
After his retirement, Naomi and Peter moved to Wasa, BC where they enjoyed life near Wasa Lake in
the valley between the Rocky Mountains and the Purcells.
Peter was a lover and collector of books. He read prolifically on a diverse range of subjects and was
always acquiring new things to read.
Peter was survived by his wife, Naomi, and their six children (Verle, Heather, Barbara, Joy, Murray, and
Ruth) and 12 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister, Monica Falkiner of Wasa, and survived by
his brother Emil Miller of Vancouver.