Written by Rod Kauffman, BOMA President

My affiliation with BOMA began in 1984 while working at the Space Needle. I joined BOMA to meet other property managers, learn more about the commercial real estate industry, and to take some classes. I was later recruited to BOMA’s Education Committee and that is when I realized my great fortune in getting to know Ron Miller.

Ron had been the BOMA Executive for three years when I first met him. He was fresh off a career in the Navy. It wasn’t Ron’s skills and leadership talents that one first noticed when getting to know Ron Miller, it was his heart to help everyone in any way he could.  

Little did I know then, that 10 years later, Ron was planning his retirement and he wanted me to apply for his position (along with 62 other applicants). But I had something they didn’t - I had Ron Miller in my corner. The rest of that story is history.

It has been 27 years since Ron retired from BOMA, so not many of you reading this article will have known him, but you see the results of his efforts as he laid the groundwork for what BOMA has become today.

There are a few dozen current and former BOMA members who knew Ron as I did. I hope you click on the link below and learn more about this very special person that was an important part of the career growth of so many people in our industry.

Ron passed away, March 3rd, here in Seattle at the age of 88. Read his obituary here.

Below are excerpts from memories and tributes by some of those whose lives Ron Miller influenced:

I’m not sure how many of you have had the opportunity to actually work on a vehicle in Ron’s garage. Ron was super meticulous in the way he approached even the most mundane maintenance activities, like changing oil or repacking wheel bearings. He was always looking for ways to improve the performance of his cars and truck. He made so many improvements to “Old Blue” (Chevy Suburban) that it ceased to resemble anything ever manufactured by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. He had special oil filters, temperature gauges on things most of us would not even think about, different high efficiency carburetor to improve mileage, etc. (Note by Rod Kaufman: Ron was not only a Navy Captain at retirement from the Navy he served as Sr. Officer of the maintenance division on an aircraft carrier and was himself an F4 pilot).
 
I remember at Ron’s retirement dinner we did a good job of kidding Ron about some of these things. We sourced letterhead from Lee Johnson Chevrolet in Kirkland advising Ron that if he any specific engineering changes he would like to recommend to Chevrolet they would be given careful consideration.  
 
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We both served on the USS Midway in the Gulf of Tonkin. I didn’t know it at the time but were able to share many stories about those days.  
 
Ron would watch out a bit for me and whisper in my ear to “cool it” a little when I might have been overly sharing my opinions.  As you know, Ron was not only a naval aviator, but he was the last naval commander at Sand Point prior to his retirement.  
 
And what a tinkerer…I was always amazed by his electrical modification of that old Chevy SUV beast he drove, and the time he drove us to finalize the BOMA PAC at a meeting in Ellensburg with the Spokane folks, never exceeding the speed limit,  and pointing out each gauge he had added on and under the dashboard.  He would have never traded that beast, for any other vehicle, even for a Rolls Royce.
 
I will fondly carry his memory as a really good and supportive guy.  I think I am better for having known him.
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I just learned of Ron Miller’s passing. Goodbyes are always sad but I am grateful to have known and worked with Ron and for the good memories!  His accomplishments were many, varied and impressive but it was how he shared himself and his knowledge that stands out in my memory. I remember him fondly and will keep his family in my thoughts. He was such a “force” and character.

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He was such a kind and generous person. He was very influential in my life. There will never be anyone like him.  

One fond memory of Ron I will never forget...I mentioned I gave up golf and took up fly fishing. I knew he loved to fish and thought he’d get a chuckle out of it. After a few months I got a call from him, I was to be outside my house, ready to go Saturday morning at 5 am.  He’d be by to pick me up.  I climbed up into the copilot’s seat of big blue to discover Carol (Ron’s wife) in the back seat.  He handed me a manila envelope with maps, articles and string (I had to practice tying knots). That started my fly fishing internship.  Not only did I receive world class instruction from him but he shared all his “secret” spots, and ensured pictures were snapped of every catch.  All while Carol sat in Big Blue reading a book.  My final test was a fly fishing day trip to Eastern WA to catch “hogs” in big blue with two other ancient BOMA retirees (LOL). I barely had my waders on when Ron was yelling for me to take his rod so I could “drag” this fish up the beach and he could cast mine. We just kept exchanging rods the rest of the day. I never “caught” a one but I beached about 20!!  And then he gave me credit all the way home.
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This is from an association manager colleague of Ron’s: Ron was one of a kind. He was incredibly supportive of a lot of us and helped me understand how to be a more effective association manager. Ron liked to give us opportunities early in our careers and I remember being at a head table at a Pacific Northwest Regional Conference with another colleague from Spokane many years ago. He was a great friend and colleague and I feel lucky I saw him at one of your events just a few years ago.
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I too remember Ron as a mentor and friend. In the old days of the PNW conferences I remember another colleague and I calling Ron & Carol our “road parents.”  They were the best and I will miss him. And yes I have fond memories of Ron, his knowledge with a thoughtful comment, chuckle and smile.
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God broke the mold when he made Ron. What fun I had working with him for 20+ years in all aspects of BOMA.  His stories, his endless memories of Naval Base Seattle Sand Point, his attention to DETAIL, his Ron-isms, his sincere love of his family, country & work...all this added up to one terrific man. What a gift it was for each of us to have known him – and we are all better for it.
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Ron was a really good man and fun to work with at BOMA. I will never forget at his retirement event when a colleague got up on stage with rubber gloves showing how to grease a u joint.  

Ron is survived by his wife Carol. Address for cards:
450 NE 100th St. #515 Seattle, WA 98125
No services at this time