Miller legacy includes quiet community works

Larry H. Miller was well known for his Utah Jazz basketball team and car dealerships, but behind the scenes the entrepreneur was quietly doing more — teaching classes and funding programs that helped countless others.

Miller, 64, died Friday from complications to type 2 diabetes.

"The true legacy of Larry Miller is that people will never really know all that he did," said Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan. "He did a lot of things behind the scenes and never asked for a single thing in return."

Among Miller's low-profile efforts: Teaching master's business classes at Brigham Young University and underwriting an educational exchange program between the former Utah Valley Community College and the Kiev College of Hotel Management in Ukraine.

Miller also helped establish a police training center and donated millions to build a 20-acre Salt Lake Community College campus in Sandy where students learn entrepreneurial skills.

"There are literally hundreds of small businesses operating in Utah today" whose owners were taught and received encouragement and guidance from Miller, said A. Sterling Francom, former director of SLCC's Center for Entrepreneurship Training.

Francom estimates Miller's donations to the school approached $100 million — not bad for a guy who wasn't motivated in high school or during the one quarter he attended the University of Utah before dropping out.

In addition, Miller's business ventures provided Utahns with hours of enjoyment at restaurants, movie theaters or sporting events. He sold sports memorabilia, had a catering business and provided advertising and media services.

Of course, he also sold cars. There are more than 40 Larry H. Miller dealerships in six Western states representing nearly two dozens brands.

"Larry was not only one of the finest auto dealers in the country, he was also one of the finest humanitarians," said Iowan John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association. "In fact, it would be hard to find a finer human being. When it came to helping others, Larry set the standard."