To some, Daniel Miller was ‘bigger than life? and ‘lived life to the fullest.?
Dave Clark, a police officer for Grand Blanc Township, said when he started his career in law enforcement in Oxford 14 years ago, Mr. Miller was the main person he looked up to.
‘I first started there right out of the Marine Corps and he took me under his wing,? Clark said. ‘He was one of my mentors and a friend.?
Sadly, Miller passed away Tuesday, July 4 from a neuromuscular disease. He was 50.
Miller was a former officer and sergeant for the Oxford Police Department from 1977-1997. He retired after 20 years to become a private investigator.
Miller’s career as a police officer was highlighted by his role in exposing corruption in the Oxford Police Department during former chief Gary Ford’s tenure in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Oxford residents Sue Bellairs and Helen Barwig were friends with Miller and said his determination to expose the truth will never fully be realized.
‘I don’t think the residents of Oxford will ever know the full extent of what Dan did for this community,? Bellairs said.
Barwig, who’s known Miller since he was 17, said he was always optimistic.
‘His famous statement was that ‘you think that glass is half empty, but it’s half full, Helen,? she said. ‘Sue and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.
Former Oxford police officer Ron Crichton, who now works as a detective for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, said Miller was ‘businesslike, assertive, and he made sure the job was done.?
He also remembers Miller helping him and his wife become SCUBA divers and taking numerous trips to Florida as a group.
‘If Dan was around everyone would have the best time possible,? Crichton said. ‘Whether it be at his house for some gathering or on the dive trips somewhere.?
Miller is survived by his wife, Michele Miller, parents William and Patricia Miller, and his sister, Pamela Caldwell.
A funeral service took place Saturday, July 8 at Oakland Christian Church in Oakland Township.