In loving memory of Rufus Miller

My wonderful, amazing father, Rufus J Miller, passed away in a climbing accident last Thursday. He had hiked, biked and then stayed for one last climb before coming home from a camping trip near the Middle Saint Vrain Trailhead. The family wants to thank Search and Rescue teams from several different counties for coordinating a huge search starting on Friday and ending on Saturday at 1:00. A more complete obituary will be published later this week. He was loved by so many and such a friendly face within the climbing community. Please share any memories and photos here: https://form.jotform.com/242453974937066

Thanks for letting us know. This is 100 percent what I was hoping not to see after learning your dad had gone missing. He was such a force and a legend; my heartfelt condolences.

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss! He was a great man!

Heartbreaking. He seemed like an awesome person. RIP Rufus.

He had a positive impact on tons of our lives.  Heartbreaking to hear 

Great memories of Rufus from our college & climbing days in Boulder.   He was our Gilpin Street housemate always making sure we stocked enough peanut butter and bacon for his high caloric work outs and climbing trips.   More importantly, he was always there when you needed an honest opinion and friend.  He was consistent and kept his composure no matter what the circumstances.  He was the man who always had his friend's back.   My fond memories of our time together are still strong.  I will miss him.

i am so sorry to hear this. rufus was a total legend. i saw that he had gone missing the other day and was hoping for the best. my condolences to you, your family, and friends.

I’m so sorry to hear this. Rufus was a humble crusher who was incredibly kind. I met him when I was a 15 year old punk kid skipping class to boulder at Morrison. He took me under his wing, showed me around, and warned me that the couch cushions I wrapped in duct tape were more likely to break my ankles than falling directly on the rock. I’ll never forget watching him climb Pressure Sensitive on a hot summer day. I’ve bumped into him many times over the years and he always enjoyed poking fun at my couch cushion pads. I’m really going to miss seeing him out and about.  RIP Rufus. Legend.

Picture of Rufus on Cary Granite 2013.

Leighton, 

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. Rufus is a legend in the climbing community. 

One chilly day at the East Quarry, Rufus came over and asked if it was okay if he played some music. Just giving him a hard time, I questioned what he would be playing. "Oh, just the classics, you know, Zeppelin, AC/DC." His first couple of songs fit the bill—classic rock. My friend Nick was about halfway up a route, just entering the crux, when Katy Perry's "Firework" blasted through the speaker. We all burst out laughing, and then it quickly turned into a sing-along.

I'll miss seeing Rufus warm up on my projects in the Black Hole. 

❤️ Rob Cotton

We would love for the whole MP community who knew and loved him to join us for his celebration of life. Please see the details here:

With heavy hearts and cherished memories, we invite you to join us in celebrating the life of Rufus Miller. Though Rufus has left us too soon, his spirit, kindness, and love will forever remain with us. Let us gather to honor the beautiful, adventurous life he lived and the joy he brought to those around him.

Date: Saturday, October 5th

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Location: Buchanan Park Recreation Center, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen, CO 80439

We encourage all who knew and loved Rufus to join us for an afternoon of remembrance. Feel free to share stories, laughter, and tears as we come together to celebrate a life that touched so many.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, who we cannot thank enough; Foothills Animal Shelter, Majestic Canine Rescue, or Evergreen Animal Protective League. All of these causes were important to Rufus.

Let’s honor Rufus with the same warmth, love, and spunk he showed us all.

Legend.

The old Morrison crew will never be the same. Rufus was always so supportive and such a humble crusher of a climber. Although, I knew him a bit later than some of his OG counterparts like Ken Trout and Kirk Miller. Those guys always spoke of Rufus with a certain special reverence. Of his toughness, bravery and strength.

Morrison OG and South Platte Rat: honorific titles to be sure. May he live on through our memories of him and through “his” climbs: either ones that he had pioneered or ones that he had on such lock down that it seemed like merely hiking to a casual observer.

To his family and friends, I offer my condolences. So unfortunate, tragic and unexpected.

So, so sorry for your devastating loss.  Sending prayers your way for you and your family!!

Sorry to say I never had the pleasure to meet Rufus - my loss.

I offer my sincere condolences to his Family and Many Friends.

RIP 

You know it has been almost 19 years ago, when I returned back to Lincoln after having had my 2 lb preemie Mia, and Rufus told me that things would be ok...that he too had had a preemie, that they were common in Colorado. It was so hard to believe him at the time, but he was right, and my sweet girl is attending college now. You know, not many men would ever reach out to comfort someone, in a school with hundreds of teachers, but that was just the type of guy he was. I can mostly remember his infectious laugh, half grown man and half mischievous boy. I know it is no comfort to his family that he left us doing what he loved, but I wanted to express my sincere condolences for your loss.

When I first met rufus a movement I was amazed by his kindness and skill. He was crushing 5.12 and v8, like a monster. He was so kind, Humble, loving and over all amazing. Every day all I could think about was the next t time I would get t o climb with Rufus. After those first Couple times, I would go Around Chanting "Rufus Rips!" and just couldn't wait to go climb again. He took me under his wing and showed me all over, and taught me so much. He was always willing to help and support you all the time. He was the most kind, loving, and supporting person I have ever met and I have A feeling it will stay that way. He left a legacy of kindness, and adventure that will last for ever. 

 I think it Should be everyone (and I know it is my) goal to be kind and loving, just like Rufus. We are so sorry and send our l condolences and love to you and your family  

search n rescue says the fatal  accident occurred while scrambling and attempting to set up a top rope anchor to top rope solo 8/29/24 along peak to peak hwy

fb post https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3674265526167560&id=1479668098960658

Sending lots of love and support to the Miller clan. Your Dad was a stand-up guy and a strong activist, one of kind in a world full of knock offs. He will be sorely missed, RIP Rufus! 

much love, 

rick thompson

I'm just finding out about this. Climbing with Rufus at Quarry Wall, he just belonged on the rock. It's an old school thing, you know it when you see it. It's how I aspire to climb on gear. Even though he complained about his arthritis (he hardly complained) he was still so damn smooth. That was a beautiful day climbing, Feb 8th 2023. For some reason, Rufus felt like the dad I didn't have, or somehow had always wanted. A paternal warmth. A humble crusher. Thanks for the inspiration Rufus. 

I had the pleasure of climbing with Rufus at movement Englewood and he left a lasting impression as a nice, cool, humble, man.  To all his family and friends, I am so sorry for your loss  

Leighton, I am very sorry for your loss!  I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time bouldering with your dad at Morrison over the years.  He truly was a very kind, humble and well liked by everyone.  I remember that there was nobody you'd rather have spotting you as you knew that frankly it was effortless for him to catch you or toss you about like a throw pillow.  He would casually cruise problems like Pressure Sensitive on hot slippery days while humming a tune.  Nicknames included Rufus "The body" Miller as while he was 10 or more years older than most of us, had muscle definition we could only dream of.   The joke was always that we didn't have those muscles that he did.  I have so many fond memories of hours and hours in the Black Hole with Rufus in the crew and I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing.

Hadn't been to the Black Hole in a while and just heard this news today from Annette and Rob.  I didn't know Rufus well, but he left an impression on me, as he did anyone who spent time at the Black Hole. Some quick Rufus stories:

I moved to Colorado in 2017 and had my first session at the Black Hole not long after. I remember walking up on my first day there and seeing this tan, ripped, older guy cruising some loop problem. Having no idea what anything was and just watching him, I thought "oh, that must be some V3 or something, I'm gonna try that." Of course he was chucking laps on Air Lupus, which is a long way from V3, as I immediately discovered when trying (and failing) to do it... He climbed so smoothly and with such power and with giant hands that just seemed to clamp down and not let go...

More recently, my son was trying Upper Wisdom this past summer, and Rufus was up there doing his usual laps up and down wisdom/pressure sensitive, looking so smooth. He was kind and encouraging to my 13 yr old, of course, giving him helpful beta on Upper Wisdom - certainly made my son feel welcome and encouraged... And I had never tried the high variation on Upper Wisdom, but after watching Rufus do it, I've started doing it his way - never failed to learn something, watching him climb... 

It saddens me greatly to know that I (and others) will no longer get to run into him in the Black Hole, cruising our projects and being such a wonderful, positive presence. A void that can't be filled.

Condolences to his close friends and family.

-Victor McConnell

p.s. The last time I saw him was in August, at Primo Wall... we chatted for a minute about some routes he tried that day - it brought Tristan and I a smile to see him, and we joked about being shocked to see him somewhere other than the Black Hole. It's cliche, I guess, but I never imagined that would be the last time.