Dr. Ralph Miller

1933 - 2021

Dr. Ralph Miller
September 23, 1933 - November 21, 2021
Lexington, Massachusetts - Ralph Miller, Doctor & Championship Skier, Dies at 88
Dr. Ralph English Miller Jr., 88, died on Sunday November 21 at Brookhaven in Lexington, MA.
Ralph led a dynamic and inspiring life, which began in Hanover, New Hampshire in September, 1933. His passion for the outdoors was nurtured at an early age by his father, who arranged camping and canoe trips as well as skiing and climbing adventures in the mountain wilderness. He graduated from Hanover High School and went on to Dartmouth College, where he was a star on the collegiate ski team. He played a key role on the U.S. Ski Team throughout the 1950s, winning several national championships and representing the United States in the 1956 Olympics in Cortina, Italy, where he competed in slalom, giant slalom and downhill. In 1955 while training in Portillo Chile he set the world speed record on skis, descending at 109 mph and establishing a record that held for 16 years. Asked about the quality of his equipment during that effort, he would laugh and say "I think I was wearing a t-shirt. The conditions were warm!"
Ralph set aside his competitive skis in 1957 to pursue a career in medical research. He graduated from a combined Dartmouth/Harvard medical school program in 1961 and focused his work on basic endocrine research. After marrying Pamela Gundersen Miller, also of Hanover, their family moved to Lexington, Kentucky where he took a position as Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Kentucky. In the years that followed, Ralph shifted from researcher to practitioner. He delighted in seeing patients and in helping them lead healthy and productive lives. During this same period Pam established herself politically in Lexington and eventually rose to lead the city as mayor for ten years. Ralph loved his role as the city's "First Gentleman." He was a zealous advocate for Pam and a tireless door to door campaigner – always excited to promote his wife's public service.
Ralph defined athletic excellence throughout his life. He was a talented runner who regularly won his age category in road races. He trained seriously for many years, qualifying for and completing the Boston Marathon with a sub-3 hour time. During a sabbatical year spent living in Switzerland he was exposed to the sport of hang gliding, which became a defining passion for him. On many a family trip he would point out the beauty he saw in soaring birds and quote Leonardo da Vinci and Otto Lilienthal on their dreams of flight.
Ralph was highly disciplined and dedicated to his passions. In college he was renowned for having built a Rube Goldberg weightlifting device into his desk so that he could develop leg strength while studying biology. He applied his lofty personal standards to his approach to life, defining greatness as what was possible for all. Some saw him as a tireless perfectionist; in his laboratory at the University of Kentucky was a simple poster for the team; "We Can Do Better." In retirement he religiously studied the Tennis Channel to glean secrets to a great service motion from professionals such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic .
Ralph Miller is survived by his wife Pam and his three children Alex, Erik and Karen. He was proud of the three successful marriages enjoyed by his children and the resulting 9 delightful grandchildren. His immediate family was with him when he died peacefully at home. His zest for life and his belief in living it to the fullest was an inspiration to all. He will be greatly missed.
Ralph loved nature. Donations in his honor are welcomed at the Nature Conservancy of Kentucky. A memorial service will be planned early next year.