Douglas Gene Miller

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Douglas Gene Miller on December 31, 2025.

Doug was born in Placerville, CA on March 26, 1956, to Ronald G. Miller and Dorothy A. Almeida. He grew up in Fremont, California, where he attended Irvington High School. As a teenager, Doug worked at his parents' company, West Coast Packaging and Crating, learning the value of hard work early in life. After high school, he spent two years in Colorado attending a mechanical school before returning to California in 1976. That same year, he met the love of his life, Susan, and they were married in August 1977.

Drawn to the Sierra Nevada foothills, Doug and Susan began their married life in Sonora and Outingdale, CA where Doug worked various jobs, including as a gold miner and logger. In 1981, they returned to Fremont so Doug could join West Coast Packaging and Crating full-time. Starting on the shop floor, Doug learned every role firsthand and steadily advanced through the company. His dedication and leadership eventually led him to become part owner and CEO. When the company was sold to Chick Packaging, Doug stayed on in management and later continued his career when Chick Packaging was acquired by Nefab, a global packaging and logistics company. Doug retired from Nefab in 2014 after decades of guiding teams and supporting Silicon Valley's growth through critical manufacturing and logistics services for major technology companies, including IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Doug believed in hard work, accountability, and investing in people. He led by example, respected every job, and earned admiration not through titles, but through integrity.

Outside of work, Doug lived life to the fullest. He loved fishing and owned several boats, exploring California's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters—his fishing stories are family legends. He enjoyed deer hunting with his son and father, riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles and dirt bikes, and embracing adventure wherever he could. Doug and Susan traveled the world together: he became a member of the Polar Bear Club in Antarctica, hiked Machu Picchu in Peru, and soared in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti in Africa. They also explored the United States in their RV, chasing total solar eclipses and discovering new places.

After retirement, Doug and Susan settled in their weekend home in Grass Valley, where they spent the past 14 years enjoying the quiet beauty of the foothills. Doug filled his days with family, off-roading on ATVs, and fabricating projects—whether simple quilt ladders for Susan and her quilting sisters or complex ATV/camping platforms for his truck. A devoted dog lover, Doug leaves behind Lucy, his yellow Labrador, and Walter, his Golden Retriever along with two cats Bob and Al.

Doug is survived by his wife of 48 years, Susan; his children Nicholas (Kellen) and Anna (Christina); his granddaughter Sara; his father Ronald; his sisters Cindy (Mark) and Susan (William); sisters-in-law Louanne (Richard), Leslie (David), Julie (Daniel), Erika (Joshua); brother-in-law Jeffery; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Doug will be remembered as a man who worked hard, led with integrity, loved his family deeply, and lived honestly. His legacy endures in the people he believed in, the family he cherished, and the life he lived without shortcuts.

Memorial Celebration January 24, 2026 11am - 3pm at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento CA