Gary Kenneth Miller

1949 - 2022

Gary Kenneth Miller
March 8, 1949 - September 16, 2022
Roseville, California - Gary Miller, as he was known to his friends and supporters far and wide, was born on March 8, 1949, in the Hillcrest section San Diego, California. He left us all too soon at the age of 73 on September 16, 2022, passing away in Roseville, California. Gary Miller was a pillar of the LGBTQ community and Democratic politics in the greater Sacramento and SF Bay areas since the 1970s. A few years after his birth, Gary's mother, Vivian Helen Doile Buckminster, moved Gary and his brother to her home town of Kansas City, Missouri, as Gary's father had deserted his young family.
Gary's love of politics started early and endured throughout his life. He spoke to the student body of his high school on behalf of Lyndon Johnson. Gary continued his political involvement when he went to Central Methodist College, now Central Methodist University, in Fayette, Missouri, becoming active in the Phoenix Society, an early gay rights organization. In the Phoenix Society, Gary met the first love of his life, Ron Bentley, who was the editor of the group's newsletter. Gary and Ron continued to live in Kansas City until Ron was able to receive an honorable discharge from the Air Force. Gary had received a 4F classification as a conscientious objector; both men then moved to San Francisco.
While living in San Francisco, Gary and Ron became involved with local LGBTQ politics and the Democratic Party. In 1972, Gary became the first gay man to run for a seat on the San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee, coming in 11th out of 33 candidates. Gary and Ron became founding members of the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club and, in 1975, Gary was elected for a term as president of the club. That same year, Gary and Ron were spiritually married in a ceremony at the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco. Gary began working for the Friends Committee on Legislation, a Quaker lobbying group.
Gary and Ron then moved to Sacramento to be closer to Gary's work at the State Capitol. While working for the Friends Committee on Legislation, Gary helped organize the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union, which became Local 146; Gary would serve as chapter president for ten years and one of the earliest openly-gay union leaders in California.
Continuing his involvement in the California Democratic Party, Gary was appointed to the Central Democratic Committee for California in 1979 and served as its chair for ten years. In 1981, Gary ran for the Sacramento City Council as an openly gay candidate and came in third. During this time Gary also helped to organize the River City Democratic Club, which eventually disbanded and was replaced by the Stonewall Democratic Club, where Gary continued to be active.
In 1987, Gary ran for and was elected to the Robla School Board, becoming the first openly gay member of a school board and the first elected LGBTQ official in Sacramento County. Gary continued to win reelection to the Robla School Board and was elected school board president in 1997.
Gary lost his husband Ron to HIV in 1994, but, while serving on the school board, Gary later met the second love of his life, Mike Gollbach. Mike was a special education teacher for the Robla School District and this conflict of interest caused Gary to resign from the school board. Mike and Gary soon fell in love and moved to Roseville together.
In 2008, Gary ran for a position on the Roseville City School Board and won. He was elected school board president by his fellow school board members. The next year, 2009, Gary and Mike were legally married in a Quaker ceremony. Gary remained on the Roseville School Board until he was defeated for reelection in 2020.
After Gary left the school board and Mike retired from teaching, Gary and Mike spent the next two years traveling and enjoying retirement. In 2022, Mike was diagnosed with a brain tumor and sadly passed away on June 28, 2022. Gary soon followed his beloved Mike and passed away after a brief illness three months later in September, with friends Scott Huber and David Larson by his side.
A celebration of Gary's life will be held on January 21, 2023, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento, at 11:00 A.M. This will be a Quaker service, as Gary requested, and all are welcome. Please join us after the service for a reception to remember the life of this amazing and much beloved leader, friend, and husband.