Simon F. Miller |
| Posted 2020-05-25 by mhenderson |
| Published in Today's News Herald from May 24 to May 25, 2020 - Lake Havasu City, Arizona - Simon (Sy) F. Miller, 99, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2020 in his home. Sy's wife, Estelle and his children, Michael and Victoria, preceded him in death, leaving only his granddaughter Tammi Davis, Scottsdale, AZ, granddaughter Terri Campbell, great granddaughter Victoria Campbell, San Bernardino, CA and grandson Tom Neighbarger. Sy's mother died in childbirth, so he was raised by his grandparents in North Dakota, hitting the road for the West at age 19. Shortly after arriving in California, Sy joined the Air Force, spending most of his stint as a top gunner on a B-17 flying missions out of Italy. In 1960, the Miller family moved to Desert Shores on the Salton Sea. Sy was a dump truck owner/driver during the time Salton City was being built and the amount of asphalt needed for roads and streets was astounding. In his off time, Sy occupied himself with making sand buggies; something he continued after moving to LHC in 1964. Most of the sand buggies in those early LHC days were built by or with the help of Sy, and he was the proud recipient of the sand buggy division blue ribbon in the first 4th of July parade in LHC in 1967. He was probably best known though as the person who conceived, and with the help of a few friends, built, the Miller's Folly double decker paddle wheel boat. It was named Miller's Folly because no one knew for sure that it would actually float! It did float, and for several years was the source of many wonderful, wonderful times out on the lake! Sy enjoyed a good challenge and he found plenty of those working with Trico Engineering on projects from Hailey, Idaho to Aspen, Colorado to Reno, Nevada and more. With only an 8th grade education, Sy was truly a self-taught man. In 1995, Sy moved to Tempe, AZ where he lived with Richard and Earlene DeLaura until his death. Truly a Havasu Pioneer, Sy always considered LHC home. Sy's requested "I'm Glad You're Dead" party will be September 25 in Tempe. |
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