By John Showalter

Early on the morning of Tuesday, October 23, longshoreman Daniel Miller passed away after suffering a heart attack while working on a ship at the SSA Terminal at the Port of Seattle. Miller, 46, had just started the morning shift when he complained to his partner about stomach and chest pain, then became incoherent and fell to his knees. The partner immediately called foreman Al Smith who notified the Seattle Fire Department. Emergency medical professionals responded quickly, but Miller died while being transported to a nearby hospital.

Daniel Miller was born on June 20, 1961 in Tillamook, Ore. His father was a racehorse jockey, but for most of his childhood, Miller’s mother reared Daniel, his older brother Donny, and sister Debbie. Prior to his passing, Daniel had worked on the docks for about 5 years. Before longshoring, he hauled hay, worked at local dairy farms, and did construction work. Daniel started working early in life, performing chores on dairy farms as an eight year-old boy. 

“He lived for the moment, and he lived every day as if it were a party,” brother Donny said. “Everyone liked him. He always had a joke to tell you.” His brother said Daniel also liked going to horse races and casinos, and fishing in the ocean or on the Puyallup and Green rivers. Miller is survived by both parents and his two siblings.