Donald (Don) E. Miller died on Nov. 6, 2009, at 84 years of age. He departed with his son Ken at his side after a long struggle with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Miller family moved to Mercer Island in 1956 and resided there for 50 years. Mr. Miller’s career with the Mercer Island School District began with the opening of the Island’s new high school, where he taught physics through the 1960s. During his years teaching at MIHS, he supervised many activities and clubs, including the Debate Team and Photography Club. Often, he would (with the help of his wife, Betty) shoot and develop the photographs for prom night and other school functions. Mr. Miller retired from the MISD after serving as the district’s curriculum director during the 1970s. He often attended the class reunions of his former students.

Mr. Miller had many interests and hobbies, the most notable being a lifelong involvement in sailing. He influenced many young aspiring local sailors as the director of the Corinthian Yacht Club’s Junior sailing program and then again as the club’s fleet captain. Through the years, the Millers participated in one-design sailboat racing both on the lake and Puget Sound, usually in boats that Mr. Miller built in their garage. In retirement, he and Betty spent five years cruising first the South Pacific and then the Atlantic Ocean on their 53-foot sailing yacht, MAIA. Mr. Miller was very interested in people and seemingly befriended someone in every port of call. He was also enthralled with flying, and later in life earned his Glider Pilots license.

Mr. Miller earned his Bachelor of Arts at Michigan State University and his Master of Arts at Penn. He served on advisory boards for KCTS channel 9 and the Pacific Science Center, and made four trips to India, helping set up undergraduate physics courses there. His love of India started with his service in World War II, which is where he spent most of the war.

Born in Seattle to Kathleen and Evon Miller on April 20, 1926, Mr. Miller is survived by his wife, Betty, of Redmond; two sons, Ken (Polly), of Redmond, and Bruce (Cindy), of Bakersfield, Calif.; and half brother, Gus Miller, and family, of the Detroit, Mich., area.

It was Mr. Miller’s expressed wish for his remains to be left on the outgoing tide. He will be returned to the sea he loved. No services will be held at his request.

The family would like to thank Kathy Stewart and the excellent staff at Aegis of Kirkland for the great care that Mr. Miller received during his stay there.

Remembrances are suggested to www.thesailingfoundation.org, which promotes youth sailing in the Puget Sound area.