Donald DeWitt Miller (Don) New Mexico native Don Miller

Donald DeWitt Miller (Don) New Mexico native Don Miller peacefully passed away at his home in Los Ranchos on 2/11/2025, surrounded by his children and his 18-year old beloved canine rescue companion Mollie. Don was the son of Maxwell Brookhart Miller and Edith DeWitt Miller, born 10/18/1935 in the historic Maytag Building of Presbyterian Hospital. Don attended Lincoln Junior High, Albuquerque High and the University of New Mexico. During WWII, the family moved to the Panama Canal Zone where he and older sister Evelyn attended elementary school when their father was a Spanish translator for the Allies war effort. Don was a second-generation alumni of Bulldog City, where as a lefty he deftly covered first base for the varsity baseball team. While at UNM, Don married his high school sweetheart Cynthia Pacey in the summer of 1955. Recreation and a mutual love of the outdoors was a cornerstone of their marriage. Their favorite sport was alpine skiing, with Don taking his first turns on some wooden skis with friends at Roosevelt Park near downtown Albuquerque when he was in high school. Don & Cynthia joined the La Madera Ski Club in the latter 1950's, where lifetime friendships were forged on the slopes of what is now Sandia Peak. In the 1960's and early 1970's, Don was the Coach for the Sandia Peak Ski Team. With a daughter and a son in elementary school, Don shifted his volunteer efforts to the interests of his children, namely the club sports of track & field and basketball, respectfully. Don coached basketball at the Albuquerque Boys Club, and was an extraordinary parent volunteer for Janelle's club track, the Albuquerque Olympettes. Don & Cynthia drove carpools to practice six-days a week, officiated weekend track meets at Wilson and Milne Stadiums and were often volunteer coordinators for club fundraising, manning seasonal firework sales stands as well as coordinating supervision of the paid parking lots for the Albuquerque Dukes home games in the 1970's. Don's immersion as a volunteer with youth through the 1960's and 1970's benefitted hundreds on Albuquerque youth, as Don taught each of them the value of self discipline, team building, mentoring and a strong work ethic to achieve their respective goals in life well beyond the realm of sports. Team building carried over into Don's professional career as well, working after college with Mountain Bell Telephone Company in real estate acquisition for their regional equipment sites in the late 1950's and 1960's. In 1971, longtime friends Bob Nordhaus and Ben Abruzzo offered Don the opportunity to join their firm, Alvarado Realty, located just a few blocks east of Mountain Bell in downtown Albuquerque at the Simms Building. The offer proved to be the opportunity of a lifetime, with Alvarado enrolling Don in coursework with the Institute Real Estate Management [IREM], where Don earned his Certified Property Manager [CPM] designation. Once again, Don's time as a volunteer in his professional pursuits was all-in. He was a co-founder/President of the New Mexico Apartment Association, and served as the Chapter President of IREM Chapter #46 in New Mexico for multiple terms. In 1984, Don was appointed by IREM to serve as Regional Vice President, providing leadership and oversight of chapters in five states. Don's favorite role with both organizations was his role as a teacher, where he mentored students and was known for engaging the classroom in "what if" lively discussions verses a textbook style of teaching. In the latter part of his property management career, Don collaborated with other Albuquerque real estate leaders to form Hooten Stahl Management Division, Realty Service of New Mexico and Parnegg Miller Management. His sweetheart and best friend Cynthia passed away in 1985. In 1987, Don's stars aligned once again, meeting Valerie Kirkup through a mutual tennis friend, and they were married in 1988. They too enjoyed a three-decade run until her passing in 2017. During those years, Don & Val called Ruidoso, NM, Hendersonville, NC and Albuquerque, NM "home" at one point or another, always opening their home to family and friends visiting from near and far. Don continued to enjoy golf and tennis in retirement, until his eyesight began to fail in recent years after their return to New Mexico in 2008. Until his passing, however, Don remained active with the NM IREM Chapter, recently joining the celebration for the Chapter's 60th anniversary. Don is survived by his sister Evelyn, daughter Janelle (Phil), son Jay-Alan, grandchildren Cynthia Jennice (Marley), Jay Kory (Kristen) and great-grandson Louis. Special thanks for Rick & Barb Quanz for their many kindnesses to Don over the past several years; to the incredible staff and physicians at Eye Associates who managed Don's lifetime struggle with multiple diseases of the eye; and to Lori, Marlene and Diane from Presbyterian Hospice for their authentic compassion and care of Don up to his final breath. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church in Los Ranchos. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to AHNM in honor of Don's canine companion Mollie, who truly rescued Don and brought him endless comfort for nearly two decades.