COUNCIL BLUFFS — Dr. Ronald Miller, founder of Miller Orthopaedic Affiliates and a doctor who helped get people moving for more than 30 years, died Wednesday at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. He was 73.
"Dr. Miller had a very big heart," said Dawn Witt, clinic manager at Miller. "He had a real burning passion for his profession."
Miller specialized in joint replacement. He founded the practice in 1972 and performed surgery on thousands of people, according to Dr. Daniel Larose.
Larose joined the Miller team in 1988 and became a partner in the early 1990s. He said Miller was dedicated to getting the best results.
"Always striving to have the best range of motion for patients and quickest return to activity," he said. "You never saw him come to work one day where you felt he didn't give it his all."
Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa, and received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Iowa. He served in the Army after graduation from medical school, attaining the rank of major as a member of the 504th Aviation Battalion.
Miller retired late in 2006 because of health problems, Larose said. "If not for his health, he'd have still worked," Larose said. "He didn't retire because he wanted to sit around."
The doctor oversaw Miller Orthopaedic's expansion to 13 locations, with clinics throughout southwest Iowa and in Omaha. He also developed a program that included education about joint replacement before and after surgery.
Miller's survivors include his wife of 47 years, Celinda; sons Steve, Mike, Bob and John; and nine grandchildren.
His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Council Bluffs.
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