Warren Pullman Miller
Warren Pullman Miller passed away peacefully, on May 24, 2022, at home in Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by his family. He died after a losing battle with lung cancer one day short of his 82nd birthday. Mr. Miller was born in Chicago, Illinois to Florence Lowden Miller and Dr. C. Phillip Miller. His grandfather, Frank O. Lowden, was the Illinois governor from 1917-1921. His great-grandfather George Mortimer Pullman developed the Pullman sleeper car and founded the company town of Pullman, now part of Chicago’s Southside.
Throughout his life, Mr. Miller had a passion and love for the environment, conservation, travel, flying and above all his family, both the two-legged and four-legged ones (many cats and dogs were lucky enough to call the Miller household their home).
Mr. Miller spent his early life in Illinois. His weekends, holidays, and summers were spent primarily at Sinnissippi Farm, the family’s farm and forestland established by his grandparents, located 100 miles west of Chicago, in Oregon, Illinois. He attended Lawrenceville Academy in New Jersey and received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Harvard University in 1962. Upon graduation, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve serving for four years.
Mr. Miller’s early career was taken up by governmental management, natural resources administration and the forest products industry. He served on several advisory panels for state and local governments and as an officer, director, and trustee of several non-profits in the Midwest.
In 1966, Mr. Miller joined the newly formed nonprofit and Presidentially appointed Citizens Advisory Committee on Recreation and Natural Beauty. During that time, he met and married his first wife, Nancy. Throughout the years, he remained close to the family property and businesses at Sinnissippi and in 1978 he and Nancy moved to Oregon, Illinois to help run the family business. They built a new lumber mill, expanded the logging operations, increased the size of the Christmas tree farm to become the second largest Christmas tree grower in the state for some time. He became involved with the Pullman Historic Foundation and the Pullman Historic District in Chicago and continued as a board member of the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation; a foundation established by his great-grandfather in 1949.The Foundation is ongoing awarding scholarships to outstanding high school seniors throughout Illinois.
In 1989, Nancy wanted to reconnect with her family in California, eventually settling in Santa Barbara. Nancy passed away unexpectedly in 1997. Mr. Miller continued to be active in a number of Santa Barbara’s community organizations, among them the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, the Hope Ranch Park Association and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. He met Gallery owner Marlene Schulz, and they married in 1999. This would prove to be a new chapter in his life. They collaborated on numerous art exhibitions and publications.
Warren Miller is survived by his wife, Marlene R. Miller, two nieces; Kimberley Lowden Miller, Jennifer Pullman Tadjedin (Amir), cousins; Deborah Lowden Daspit (William), Elizabeth Pullman Daspit, Richard Winslow Daspit Jr. (Cecilia), Anne Deverman Daspit (Kenneth), Amy Drake Daspit, Catherine Elizabeth Culbertson (Charles), Edward Albert Culbertson (Robin), George M. Pullman Drake Jr. (Linda), Christopher A. Drake (Lori), Patricia Lowden Drake, Scott Folker Madlener and numerous grand nieces and nephews. A sister-in-law, Ingrid Cali and her children; Marty Fiolka (Susan), Leeann Folse (Dee).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, or The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature.