Posted on 04/09/2009 7:49:31 AM PDT by OrangeDaisy
Miller Dies In Hometown Of Augusta, Ga.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Longtime WSMV-TV anchor Dan Miller died Wednesday night of a heart attack in his hometown of Augusta, Ga. at the age of 67.
Miller was in Augusta to watch practice rounds of the Masters Golf Tournament with fellow friends and longtime co-workers Terry Bulger and Rudy Kalis.
Miller had anchored evening newscasts for Channel 4 since the 1970s. For a short time, he worked in Los Angeles TV news and was Pat Sajak's sidekick for a short-lived late-night talk show Sajak did on CBS-TV. He returned to WSMV-TV in the mid 1990s.
"I can't begin to describe the grief and sadness I feel...Dan was an extraordinarily caring and talented man. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life," said Sajak.
Miller was born in 1941.
Services have not been planned at this time.
Below is a statement from WSMV-TV general manager Elden Hale:
"Our friend and co-worker Dan Miller passed away last night. He had been to the Master's yesterday with his long-time friends Rudy Kalis and Terry Bulger. It had been a good day with best friends walking the Augusta course for the practice round. Dan and Rudy were walking the streets of Augusta, which was Dan's hometown, late last night when Dan suffered a heart attack and died.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Karen and daughters McKensie, Jennifer and Darcy and son Stephan.
Dan Miller anchored the news for a lifetime here at Channel 4, but more than that, Dan was the anchor of Channel 4. His face and voice informed and comforted our viewers. His smile and laugh comforted his friends.
Dan will be missed in ways we can not imagine today, but he will also be remembered for all he meant to all of us. We know, because Rudy and Terry tell us, that Dan was having the time of his life yesterday. It was a great day Terry says. And as all of us know, any day spent with Dan was a great day.
We will miss Dan, but all of us have been enriched by his life, and for that we can be truly grateful.
Elden Hale
Stay with Channel 4 News for more details on this story.
Oh.
What a shame. He was only 67. That’s so young these days.
Hated to hear this story this morning
Channel 4 won`t be the same without Dan
Certainly didn`t know the man personally,but he
seemed a nice guy and had real style
Of course Dan Miller was a literal giant in Nashville. I probably have the singlemost embarrassing story to tell in how I met him. It was about 26 or so years ago and I was outside a ride at the now defunct Opryland theme park (I was about 8 or 9). Excited and in a hurry to get on the ride, I went charging forward and ran right into him... or more to the point, headfirst into his crotch. I stumbled back dazed and he grabbed my arms and I looked up... way up... I thought I had run into a giant. He was a huge guy, well over 6 feet and I was a little kid. I realized, oh my goodness, I just ran into Dan Miller ! He was there with his kids (they were about my age then). I thought he was gonna throttle me or yell at me for not looking where I was going, but he was polite about it and sent me on my way.
A lot of folks in the media industry, as we all know, often have egos and arrogance the size of mountains, but Mr. Miller was lacking both those traits. He certainly is an irreplaceable figure in Nashville. May he rest in peace and prayers for his friends and family.
RIP Dan.
Dan’s passing has ripped the hearts out of thousands of “family members” from the viewing audience in middle Tennessee.
I grew up on a steady diet of “Uncle Dan” Miller and frankly, the news will never be the same or as interesting. I have never been so sad over the death of someone that I did not personally know, as I have over Dan’s passing.
I've watched him deliver the news since 1984, with the exception of the time he left Nashville to be Pat Sajak's side-kick on the Sajak late night show that flopped.( early 90's )
I actually met him once backstage at a Charlie Daniels event in Nashville. Very likable person.
I will miss seeing you every night on my TV screen Mr. Miller.
God Bless his soul and his family.
RIP Anchor Miller. I watched all the time. A good man.
He was in my home nightly for my whole life it seems. I feel like I lost a part of the family.
RIP and prayers for his loved ones.
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