Stevenson Rowley Miller, 60

Stevenson Rowley Miller left this world on June 3, 2008, after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer. Steve was born in Minneapolis on March 22, 1948, to Susan and Rowley Miller.

Steve grew up in Minnesota, attending St. James Military School and graduating from St. John's Military Academy in 1966, where he was a top hockey and tennis player. He attended the University of Minnesota, then ventured to the Yukon and Alaska, becoming a hunting and fishing guide.

Steve moved back to Minnesota and started his own company, Millstone Enterprises, that sponsored motocross and powerboat racing. He raced motocross, was the crew chief in Formula One powerboat racing, crewed for the Formula One race-car circuit, and was the crew chief for the SCCA ice-racing circuit. During this time, he met and married his wife of 35 years, Suzie Wagner.

Steve and Suzie spent time in Minnesota and on Cayman Brac Island. They moved to Greer's Ferry Lake near Clinton, Ark., where their first son, Nick, was born in 1983. They moved back to Minnesota where their second son, CW, was born in 1985.

Steve continued his adventures in Alaska and in the mid-1980s he became the owner and the captain of the commercial fishing boat F/V Gypsy out of Homer, then Kodiak, Alaska. He continued his commercial fishing through 2007.

When his sons became interested in BMX racing in 1992, he started and sponsored Millstone BMX Racing Team, a national team of 25 riders who traveled around the country together to compete in local and national races.

In 1995, Steve took his oldest son, Nick, to Alaska to crew on his boat. In 1996 he took CW to Alaska to crew on the boat. The following year the boys became the entire crew. They continued to crew every summer with Steve.

Steve and his family moved to Bigfork in 1996 and built a log home on Yellow Bay in 1998.

Steve was preceded in death by his son, CW; and his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Suzie, and his son, Nick, at the family home in Yellow Bay; his sisters, Barby Ryan of Billings, and her family, Charlotte Forsythe of Minneapolis, and her family, and Margaret Ward of Wilsall, and her family; and by his extended family and many friends.

A unique, independent, free spirit, Steve was intellectually brilliant, a great problem-solver, and could fix anything. He was adventurous, friendly, honest, kind-hearted, fun-loving and generous. Steve was an outstanding, delightful, and devoted husband, father and friend. He loved spending his time with his family and his many friends.

A gathering of family and friends and those who knew Steve will be held from 2 to 5 p.m., with a ceremony at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 28, at the Miller home, 18649 East Lakeshore, in Bigfork.

Memorials in Steve's memory may be made to the Brac Branch of the Humane Society, Box 207, Cayman Brac, KY2-2101, Cayman Islands. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com