Rick J. Miller

Ricky James Miller passed away on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026. Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory-Geneseo Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. No services will be held at this time. A Celebration of Life to be held at a later date.

 He was born May 6, 1954, in Geneseo to Lyle and Joyce. He was the youngest of their three children. Growing up in a farm family shaped him in ways that stayed for life: a strong back, a steady work ethic, and a deep appreciation for simple, honest living. He graduated from J.D. Darnall High School in 1972 and wasted no time building a future with his own hands.

In 1981, he founded Precision Laser Alignment, a specialized machine tool business that would carry him across the country and allow him to provide for his family with pride. He was never one to shy away from hard work, and he believed that doing a job right mattered more than doing it fast. After nearly four decades of dedication, he retired in 2019.

Earlier in his life, he also gave 15 years of service as a volunteer firefighter with the Geneseo Fire Department, quietly showing up for his community the same way he showed up for the people he loved.

Rick was unapologetically himself in the best possible way. You never had to wonder where he stood on a topic. He’d tell you, usually with a perfectly timed one-liner. He was humble, genuine, and generous. His humor, his honesty, and his loyalty were constants. He lived without pretense.

If you were looking for him on a warm summer weekend, you knew exactly where to go: the Mississippi River. The river wasn’t just a hobby; it was heaven. Over the years he worked his way from a modest 16-foot boat to the 40-foot cruiser he’d dreamed of, and he never took a single day on the water for granted. His favorite uniform was simple: no shirt, cut-off shorts, Ray-Bans on, beer in hand, surrounded by family and friends. He loved water skiing, fishing trips to Minnesota and Canada, and the quiet solitude of mushroom hunting. Crossing the Panama Canal, a lifelong dream, stood as one of his proudest adventures.

He was a man who loved speed and sound: classic cars he could identify at a glance, the lung-filling thrill of drag racing, and rock music played loud enough to feel. He passed that love of music to his daughters and granddaughter, whether blasting it on the boat or in the car. He treasured traveling to see family and never passed up a chance to gather with friends at his favorite local spots. To know him was to know laughter, stories, and a sense that life was meant to be enjoyed fully and honestly.

Most of all, he will be remembered as a man who celebrated living. He worked hard, loved deeply, spoke plainly, and showed up for the people who mattered. Rick will echo forever in the memories of those lucky enough to share time with him.

Rick is survived by his loving wife Debbie; his daughter Valerie; his granddaughter Kylie; his great-grandson Bodie, who brought him immense pride and joy; his brother Gary (Shirley); his sister Debby Ward; and a large extended family. Among them, his niece and nephew Nick and Katherine held a place in his heart like children of his own. He was preceded in death by his parents Lyle and Joyce, his previous wife Barb Thingwold, and daughter Donna, whose memory he always carried close.

His family and friends will carry him forward in the stories they tell, the music they play too loud, the trips they steer toward open water, and the one-liners delivered at just the right moment. Rick’s life is proof that joy can be simple and loyalty can be loud, and that the best legacy a man can leave is a table full of people grateful he once pulled up a chair. He will be missed fiercely, remembered constantly, and celebrated every time life is lived the way he showed us it should be.