Brian Miller, who served on the Spokane Audubon Society (SAS) board and in other leadership roles in past decades, died December 14 after battling cancer for years.
Brian was a vital part of the chapter for many years, according to current SAS president Alan McCoy. “I remember him wearing the Santa Claus hat at our Christmas meetings and leading the singing of the Twelve Days of Christmas carol that was a tradition at the December meeting,” Alan said. “He was a good leader for Spokane Audubon and we were lucky to have him among us.”
Brian’s wife Beth shared the following obituary, including that in lieu of a funeral, donations in memory of Brian should be sent to SAS or the Inland Northwest Land Trust.
Brian Mark Miller
April 6, 1957- Dec 14, 2025
You probably didn’t know Brian. Born on April 6, 1957, he was a quiet, studious type throughout his childhood in the Chicago and Denver areas, and into adulthood. He was almost never the center of attention.
But also, perhaps you did know Brian. An electrical engineer who graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a 4.0, he who had multiple patents to his name from his time at the Liberty Lake Hewlett Packard and spin off companies. His work helped revolutionize cellular technology. If you have a cell phone, in some way you know Brian.
Or perhaps you’ve spent time in one of the Inland Northwest’s many wildlife refuges. Brian spent decades volunteering for the Spokane Audubon Society and was a fervent supporter of environmental conservation. If you’ve enjoyed the sound of the birds at a Spokane area wildlife refuge, you know Brian.
It’s also possible you know Brian because of the many times he saw a problem in the community and worked to solve it. Perhaps you read his letters to the editor, worked with him to strengthen the local school’s math curriculum, or saw him on the national news when he was a spokesman for right to die legislation as he himself fought cancer.
Or maybe you know Brian because of the way he loved. Brian’s love was simultaneously quiet and steady and loud and joyful. He could sit with you on your hardest days, celebrate you on your best, and make you laugh whenever there was opportunity for a pun—which was always. He was famous for making sure his wife (Beth) of forty-six years had chocolate on her birthday, Valentine’s Day, and their anniversary and for sending his daughter (Suzanne) post cards from “Zork from Zorkon” when he was away. The friendships he developed at Hewlett-Packard in his twenties lasted the rest of his life. Even people who didn’t know him directly gravitated toward him. His daughter’s high school friends spent hundreds of hours at his house as teens. Safety has a feel, and Brian and Beth’s house had it, along with the occasional tutoring session, provided by Brian.
In lieu of a funeral, we ask that you remember Brian with the kindness you show to other people, the community, and the natural world. Please direct donations in his honor to the Spokane Audubon Society and the Inland Northwest Land Trust. Make some puns and share them with us and the people you love.
You may not think you knew Brian. But you did—you do. You know him in technology you use, the nature you enjoy, and the relationships you cherish. You know him in the way the room feels when it’s full of laughter, and the way a warm spring breeze feels on your face.
May his memory be for a blessing. And may we all be that blessing.
Brian is survived by his wife Beth, daughter Suzanne (Will), sister Beth, and brother Bruce (Sandy).
The family would like to thank Emma, RN and the rest of the staff at The Lodge in Post Falls for their many years of patient, loving care. We would also like to thank Leanna, RN and the team at Auburn Crest Hospice for helping make Brian’s last days as comfortable as possible.
