A sports prodigy at age eleven, hailed by the Utica Observer Dispatch 21 years later as "A Master of Athletics", Richard "Dick" Miller was truly a man for all seasons. He touched on the brink of greatness in every sport he tried--baseball, basketball, football, handball, racquetball, tennis and ping-pong.

Born in Utica July 23, 1932, Dick was unbeaten as a pitcher at St. Patrick's School. As a freshman he won letters at UF A in football, basketball, and baseball on teams which lost a total of one game. He continued to spearhead "golden years" for UF A in these three sports to 1950. He returned from a brief fling as a professional in both basketball and baseball to spark Muny and Hospital League teams in both sports for two decades, often playing in two leagues concurrently. His position as Recreation Director at Marcy State Hospital translated into a player-coach role that made Marcy teams the best around. Four Hundred - Five Hundred batting averages and points per game figures in the thirties and forties were not unheard of for Dick Miller.

At the same time he was an avid racquetball, handball, tennis and ping-pong player on into the eighties, winning tournaments and reigning as city champion in the latter sport. Father of three, he was considered to be a premier basketball official.

A testimonial in "Dick's honor in 1987 said, in part--"one of our area's greatest athletes of all time--a man of God, a pure competitor, a winner, but, above all, a true sport, our teammate, our friend--we love you".