Remembering John Miller: A steady voice in East Idaho journalism

Having spent much of my career in east Idaho media, I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear that John Miller, editor of the Post Register, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday.

The east Idaho media circle is small. Even though we are competitors, we are also friends with a deep respect for one another and the work we do for our communities. When a member of that small circle passes away, it’s a big deal. It hits all of us hard.

I worked with John for about 10 years altogether, starting with my first job out of college at the Blackfoot Morning News in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. John was a sports writer, photographer, and later a managing editor, and I was a general reporter and sales rep.

Working with John and the rest of the crew at the Morning News back then was one of the most fun jobs I ever had. We worked hard covering the local news and putting out a paper six days a week — but there was plenty of laughter and camaraderie, too. We were like family.

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I remember when John was dating and falling in love with Amy Wareing, who later became his wife. He’d clearly been bitten hard by the love bug and even wrote a few mushy columns about it. I later attended their wedding in Pocatello. Amy looked stunning, and it was a happy day for all.

I loved reading John’s articles and personal columns. His dry sense of humor and sometimes cynical view of the world always made me laugh. He was deeply knowledgeable about music, sports and politics, and always had an interesting perspective on those areas.

By the early 1990s, life took us in different directions. I moved into radio in Pocatello while John attended school at Idaho State University. Occasionally, we’d run into each other on campus or around town, always happy to visit and catch up for a few minutes.

Eventually, John and his family moved to Salt Lake City. Years later, when Facebook came along, it was nice to reconnect and keep up with what he and his family were doing.

Although John was not working in the media at that time, I followed his blog, “A View From the Middle (Class),” and read his self-published autobiographical novel, “Simple Man.” John was an excellent writer. His words were simple but heartfelt — the kind of writing that made you stop and think.

As fate would have it, both John and I returned to our starting point at the Morning News in 2018. We once again worked together with some of the old crew who were still there. John returned as editor, and I was once again working in advertising and writing special projects.

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Much had changed in the media world over the years, but John’s calm demeanor, steady work ethic and commitment to journalism and the community never wavered.

By then, our children had grown up, and John had become a grandfather. I loved it when his little grandson Ayven would stop by the office with John’s wife or daughter Alicia. It was clear how much he adored that little boy. The love and connection between them were palpable. His commitment to his faith and his family was equally admirable.

After the Morning News shut down, John and I were both there on the ground floor helping launch the Bingham County Chronicle, a new newspaper in Blackfoot owned by Adams Publishing Group. Once again, John was the editor, and I sold advertising and did special writing projects.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, I went on to freelance writing and eventually joined EastIdahoNews.com, while John became editor of the Post Register.

Looking back, one of the things I admired most about John was how soft spoken, steady and unflappable he was even when things became stressful — and in the news business, they often do. He was kind and respectful to people, even when they weren’t kind or respectful to him.

I often referred to John as “Mr. Mellow.” But when he laughed, he threw his head back and let out one of the heartiest, most genuine laughs I’d ever heard.

While the loss to his family and friends is profound, John’s absence will also be deeply felt in the local news media world.

My deepest sympathies go out to his wife, Amy; his children, Curtis, Grant and Alicia; and his two adorable grandsons, Ayven and Brighton, along with all who love John as they navigate through this tough, unexpected loss.

John’s funeral service will be held at Hawker Funeral Home in Blackfoot on Monday at 2 p.m. His full obituary can be read here.

Rest peacefully, John. You will be missed.