Denny Miller
Most
of us remember Denny as a quiet and studious classmate.
He spoke only when he had something to say and seldom attracted attention
to himself. Anyone who knew Denny
would not have been surprised by his successful professional career, but few
including Denny would have imagined the extent of his eventual travel
experiences.
After
graduating from Shippensburg State College in 1969 with a B.S. in math and
chemistry, Denny Miller served in the U.S. Marine Corps specializing in computer
science. In 1975 he earned his M.S. in computer science from the
University of Southern California and began his career in computer science.
Denny began his globetrotting in 1973 with a trip to Australia, New Zealand, and
the Philippines.
Since
then he has extended his travels to all seven continents. "In 1987, I
visited Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, definitely an interesting adventure.
There were parades almost every night during Carnival. I stayed at a hotel on
the corner of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. In the afternoon you could
barely see the sand for all the sun worshippers. Of course, the hotel was
very accommodating and had a pool for the morning sun and an additional one for
the afternoon sun. Most of my
sightseeing, at least for the normal tourist attractions in and around Rio ,
took place before Carnival began."
Denny's
more recent travel destinations include Scandinavia, Czechoslovakia, Austria,
Hungary, Japan, Hong Kong, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece and various
Greek islands including Mykonos and Santorini,
Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Turkey, Albania , Montenegro, Croatia, Germany,
Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Iceland. He has visited many of these
destinations multiple times.
Special
memories include attending the 1980 winter Olympics in Lake Placid from opening
to closing ceremonies and seeing the U.S.'s gold medal hockey win over Finland,
attending the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles from opening to closing, and
the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta from opening to closing. There have
been visits to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Parade and Game and to Miami for the
Orange Bowl Parade and Game. A trip to Normandy, France, in 1994 for the
50th Anniversary of D-Day was particularly meaningful since one member of the
tour group was a WWII veteran who had landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. In
1996 a trip to Paris and London was highlighted by a crossing of the English
Channel via train through the Chunnel.
In
February, 2005, Denny traveled to Argentina and Antarctica. "I would
go back again in a minute! We saw much wildlife including whales,
penguins, of course, and seals. We made four landings on Antarctica via
Zodiac boats." A return trip to Australia and New Zealand in 2008
spanned 37 days. He covered Australia east to west, north to south as well
as middle. One of the highlights of this trip was a four-course dinner on
a plateau close to Ayers Rock. After dinner the astronomer in charge blew
out the candles and pointed out stars of the Southern Hemisphere. He
jokingly pointed out the North Star to those of us from the Northern Hemisphere
by pointing his flashlight to the ground at the approximate location. In
2010 travels included Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Oberammergau,
Germany, for the Passion Play performed every ten years and a third trip
to Gotemba, Japan, Chambersburg's Sister City. 2011 brought an Alaska Cruise,
the Canadian Rockies, and a river cruise of Belgium and the Netherlands.
In 2012, he went to Krakow and Prague, Prince Edward Island, New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia and a cruise of the Baltic Sea that included 11
countries and a visit to Moscow.
Denny's travels within the U.S. include Hawaii, numerous trips to Disney World, and a May, 2010, live viewing of the final launch of the Shuttle Atlantis.
Recent Addendum:
Denny has continued to add to his travels since the 50 Year Reunion. His travels took him to Cuba; Scotland for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo which took place on the Promenade of the Castle; Northern Ireland and Ireland where he was able to stop in Letterkenny, the name sake of Letterkenny Township and Letterkenny Army Depot; Alaska where he traversed the complete Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Seward; a South America Cruise covering Peru, visiting Machu Picchu, Chili, Argentina, Falkland Islands and Uruguay. He also cruised on the Danube, Rhine, and Ohio rivers. In 2017 he was able to observe the total eclipse of the sun on the totality line in South Carolina as well as the Northern Lights in Iceland, both of which were spectacular! He is hoping to observe the next total eclipse in April 2024! He also added to his U.S. travels when he drove on a 23-day trip (7900 miles) around the Eastern U.S. He visited Key West FL, San Antonio TX, Bloomington MN, Boston MA and 23 cities in between. As long as he has continued good health, he hopes to continue adding to the number of countries he visits.
As much as he enjoys travel and
has several trips planned in the near future, he commented, "So far in all
my travels, I have found no place like home."
NOTE: Sadly Denny passed away in Chambersburg on October 25. CASHS 1965 will sorely miss his leadership and his friendship. He leaves an undeniable void in his family, his high school class, his beloved Shippensburg University, and his community.