Dr. Edward "Ed" Miller

Dr. Edward "Ed" Miller, son of the late Morris Miller and Sally Gomberg Miller, passed away Monday, January 29, 2024. He was born in 1945 in Chicago, Illinois. He married the love of his life, Martha "Marty" Miller in 1967 and they spent the next 52 years side by side, until her death in 2020.

He is survived by his son, Matt Miller, son-in-law Adrian Lowe; grandchildren Meridian Lowe and Miles Miller-Lowe; and great-grandchild Nova Lowe.

Ed started his dental career in the US Army, and later studied pediatric dentistry at UNC’s Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, NC. He moved from Chapel Hill to start a pediatric practice in Greensboro in 1973, the day the University Mall opened. Even in the last week of his life, Ed could not leave the house without a grown-up patient (or their parent) approaching him to say kind words, or to thank him for saving the one tooth that got knocked out after a fall. He was faculty at UNC’s dental school and was the favorite instructor of many dental students. In retirement, Ed kept his NC Dental Board certification active.

Ed pursued his interests in sailing, amateur radio, firearms, outdoor sports, music, and storytelling all the way.

He chartered boats in the Caribbean, acquired a US Coast Guard Master Captain license, and was part of a small crew who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Rhode Island to Mallorca in the summer of 2023. Ed and Marty had a vacation home in Emerald Isle where they harbored several sailboats, and Ed captained for sailing events at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Ed held several levels of amateur radio licenses, supervised certification exams, and had a maze of antennae outside his house connected to a command center’s worth of radio equipment in what was dubbed the "radio room." Fluent in morse code, Ed would tap out messages to all ends of the Earth on radios he built and modified.

He acquired a concealed handgun permit, loaded his own bullets, and won marksman awards. Ed took pride in teaching others to handle firearms safely and become better marksmen.

Ed loved the outdoors, often walking several miles a day in Country Park or riding 20+ miles on his bike with a regular crew of cyclists. He was a part of Greensboro's Wilderness Center, a non-profit dedicated to skills, education, and safety in outdoor activities like hiking, camping, whitewater canoeing and kayaking. Ed often went winter camping with friends in Yellowstone National Park, where they would build igloos and drink fine whiskey. He would take a young Matt fishing, canoeing, and backpacking in many of the lakes, rivers, and mountains in North Carolina and Virginia.

When Ed was told he'd never be a great trumpet player, he quit music. Years later he took up the recorder, practicing nightly for hours into the night, much to the chagrin of Marty and Matt. Ed joined the Triad Early Music Society and played Scrooge in their annual production of A Christmas Carol - a role he was born for.

A proud grouch, culturally Jewish, and an evangelical atheist, Ed often told off-color stories and irreverent jokes. He and "the geezers" would meet on Friday nights to watch movies and eat chili or grilled salmon. Ed joyfully sued the City of Greensboro in small-claims court for stealing a prized pile of firewood.

Always a perfectionist, Ed was the reluctant president of both his neighborhood's lake association and condo association in Emerald Isle.

Ed was beloved in every community he was a part of, and many people are deeply saddened by his death. Consistent with his wishes, there will be no formal service. Ed's cremated remains will be scattered in the Beaufort Inlet. Communities he was a part of are encouraged to hold informal memorial gatherings. Contributions may be made in Ed’s memory to the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com.