Miller leaves 'legacy of a life well-lived'
It fluttered down as if on cue, the lone piece of confetti, slipping from the rafters of EnergySolutions Arena just as the pallbearers stood Saturday to help Larry H. Miller take final leave of the stadium he built and loved. As if in poignant witness to the victory of a life well lived, the confetti danced past the silenced jumbo screen, gave a nod to the uncharacteristically noiseless crowd and landed, smoothly, on the Utah Jazz insignia painted on the wooden boards of the court.
Larry H. Miller may have lost the battle with type 2 diabetes when he died Feb. 20, but, friends and family reiterated at his funeral Saturday, he "won the war."
"He felt it was his responsibility to do as much good as his assets would allow," said Carisa Miller, who started off her grandfather's funeral by reading his obituary to a crowd of several hundred. "He coined and lived by the phrase, 'Go about doing good until there is too much good in the world.' "
As she recounted his life, Carisa Miller made no mention of the world-class racetrack, the motor sports park, or the NBA franchise her grandfather constructed during his lifetime. She didn't talk about his 42 car dealerships, his movie production company, his restaurants or even his philanthropic organizations. Instead, Carisa Miller — as well as subsequent speakers — called to mind the more personal triumphs in Larry Miller's family life.
He married his high school sweetheart, she said. He had five children, 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He loved them, and they loved him, too.
"I love my grandpa because he is so good," said one of the grandsons, straining to reach the podium set up temporarily where the Utah Jazz basketball hoop usually stands. Other grandchildren recounted memories of fishing at the family lodge and drives out to Miller Sports Park in Larry Miller's beloved Ford 427 Cobra.
"He was a man who lived well, laughed often and loved much," said Karen Miller, his only daughter. "He gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children."
Brian Miller, one of Larry's four sons, portrayed his father as a "very simple man who had a simple worldview."
"He would always tell us, 'Life is simple. It comes down to the good guys versus the bad guys,' " he said. "I believe my father was one of the good guys."
Apparently, business and community leaders statewide share the sentiment.
Recent comments
Mr. Miller was a great example to all. Us in Southern Utah are...
Jean | March 3, 2009 at 6:50 a.m.
Rest in peace Mr. Miller
Joe | March 2, 2009 at 11:43 p.m.
i probably would'nt know or be interested about Utah if it werent for...
j - philippines | March 2, 2009 at 8:46 p.m.
- Obama: Uncensored society healthy 7:34 a.m.
- NASA fuels space shuttle for liftoff 7:29 a.m.
- Jail for Gitmo inmates to be inspected 7:19 a.m.
- Retail sales rise 1.4 percent 7:11 a.m.
- GM reports $1.2B loss 7:03 a.m.
- Lakers booed at home in loss 12:53 a.m.
- Big games keep UHSAA coffers full 12:51 a.m.
- TCU stuck at fourth in BCS 12:50 a.m.
- Students from abroad come to Utah 12:26 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:18 a.m.
- BYU happy to escape with victory
230 - TCU creams U.
225 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
207 - Will state consider gay rights law?
149 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - RSL heads to MLS title game
125 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
100 - 5A: Bingham rolls to title game
88
Sears is holding a special VIP night Sunday, Nov. 15, in stores and online.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
Dump this plan and let's go with the 1994 proposal that the Republican Party...
It's all about jealousy and control from people who really don't care about...
I expect professional sports writers from the local market to get their MWC...
And this is from the man who wants to control the internet and our ability to...
Thank you for this story and some memories. The Darling Building was where...
Do you think that given our lack of oil in this country that we could ask...
teaching without pay is not double dipping, so you are not part of the...
"I am a Bilingual (Spanish/English) North American who speaks Quichua/Quechua...
By claiming that the catalyst for national attention for TCU started with...
It ain't the coach. It's the players. He can't put the ball in the basket...

