Miller, Robert Ryal

Biography

MILLER ROBERT (BOB) RYAL On August 5, 2004 Robert Miller died peacefully in the White Sands of La Jolla retirement complex. He was eighty years old. Born and raised in South Dakota, in 1942 Bob moved with his parents to the San Francisco Bay Area. He enrolled at San Diego State College, but his studies were interrupted when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, during which he flew on sixty-one bombing missions in the Mediterranean theater. After the war, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned three Degrees: A.B, 1948, M.A 1951, and Ph.D, 1960. For more than twenty years, Dr. Miller taught courses in Latin American and California history. In the 1960s he taught at New Mexico State University, taking a leave of absence in 1966 to be-come a visiting professor at San Marcos, the national university of Peru. In the 1970s he was a professor at California State University, Hayward, retiring and named professor emeritus in 1980. He is the author or editor of thirteen books including Mexico: A History; Juan Alvarado: Governor of California, 1836-1842; Shamrock and Sword: The St. Patrick's Battalion in the U.S.-Mexico War, 1846-48; and A Yankee Smuggler on the Spanish California Coast: George Washington Eayrs and the Ship Mercury, and many scholarly, historical articles. In addition to his teaching and writing, Dr. Miller was an active member of several historical societies. He traveled extensively and presented scholarly papers at local, regional, national, and international history meetings. He also served as a consultant to museums, libraries, and filmmakers. These multiple contributions led to his recognition as a well-known and respected scholar. Married in 1955, Robert Ryal Miller is survived by his wife, Penelope, a former schoolteacherwho became a noted silversmith and jeweler; she lives at White Sands of La Jolla. Other relatives include his sister, Joyce Quyle of Murphys, Ca., and eight nieces and nephews and their families. A Service celebrating his life will be held on October 16, 2004 at 2 p.m. at the White Sands of La Jolla chapel, 7450 Olivetas Ave., La Jolla, Ca.

Published in The San Diego Union Tribune on Aug. 15, 2004

Found in 1 Collection or Record: