Leland Paul Miller

Leland Paul Miller was born on September 27, 1940, in Eveleth, Minnesota to Paul and Mildred (Neimann) Miller.

Lee grew up along the railroad tracks as the rails crossed the wilderness. Both of his parents worked through the Second World War in Northern Minnesota keeping the rails in shape to pull iron ore from the mines to the steel mills. In 1950 his family moved to Alaska where his mother was section cook and his father section foreman. At age fourteen Lee moved to Fairbanks where he attended high school and worked for the municipal garbage service and the Alaska Railroad. After leaving the railroad in 1963 Mildred bought the Quil cafe, in 1972 Lee and Perrilee took over the running of the Cafe.

Lee received his electrical engineering degree in California, took a job with PG&E, where he intended to stay but the draft came and the Army used his mathematics education to track satellites. After he was released from duty in 1967 Lee returned to PG&E.

Lee moved to Jefferson County in 1969 and except for a couple of short periods living in Clallam County has been here ever since. Lee loved trees and abandoned his engineering career in 1969 to favor a career as an electrician, which enabled him to stay on the Olympic Peninsula and avoid long days inside offices.

Lee believed in kindness, generosity, a true humanitarian; he was loyal to the IBEW, his family, and his friends. Lee’s legacy is his donation of acreage along Chimacum Creek to the Jefferson Land Trust. 

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