Marine Corporal Keith Anthony Miller, born January 22, 1993, beloved son of Margaret A. and Keith A. Miller. Cherished brother of Autumn R. Miller. Loving grandson of Peggy Farley and Frank Miller. Dear nephew and cousin to his many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.
Excerpt from Newsday:
In a written statement, the Miller family described Keith as an intelligent, kindhearted and generous soul, who was “beautiful inside and out, yet he hid his inner turmoil.” There were no apparent signs of their son’s desperation, they said. “We now know that our love was not enough to shield him.”
The family agreed to talk about Keith Miller’s death as a way, they said, of helping others to become more alert to the signs of suicide among loved ones.
In an interview, Margie said her son graduated from East Islip High School in 2010, where he did well in classes and was a wrestler for one season. As a young boy, Keith Miller also participated in Boy Scouts, Little League and the Civil Air Patrol. During his teenage years, she said, he went to a therapist for some emotional issues. “After the sessions , he was fine,” she recalled. He showed no noticeable trouble signs as an adult, she added.
“We’ve called his friends in Yuma — everyone is in complete shock and no one saw signs that it [suicide] was happening,” his mother said.
While in the Marines, Grigg said, Miller had showed no signs of emotional difficulties and none had been detected in the annual mental health screenings that the Corps provides to service members. “He was a kid who loved life,” Grigg said of Miller.
Cpl. Keith Anthony Miller grew up in East Islip with a dream of joining the military someday. It was a proud moment for Miller and his family when he became a Marine in 2012 and eventually became a radar technician stationed at an air base in Yuma, Arizona.
“He wanted to serve his country,” recalled his mother, Margie. “It was something he always wanted to do.”
To family and others who knew him, Keith appeared to be an affable young man who enjoyed rock music, rooting for the Yankees, and riding on his Fatboy Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But the young Marine’s inner emotional turmoil apparently never went away, they said.
Cpl Keith Anthony Miller lost his battle with PTS, September 1, 2015. He was 22 years old.
Keith Miller…in my book, nothing short of an absolute hero. Your life may not have been easy, but certainly appreciated. We love you for your incredible endeavours and bravery.we will honor you…. ALWAYS.