Steven Paul Miller, 77, passed away peacefully at his home in Winter Park, Florida, on May 2, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was the son of the late Doris and Martin Miller.

Born on December 29, 1947, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Steve grew up in Beresford, a small town 30 miles south. At age 16, while attending the 1964 World's Fair in New York City, Steve met Kathleen Loyola Casey—his uncle's wife's niece. At a performance of The King and I in the back row of the balcony, he kissed her and began a romance that would span over 55 years of marriage and produce a beautiful family of three children.

Steve earned a degree in electrical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City in 1969. He was also a member of the local chapter of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. He began his career at Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas, where he worked in the pioneering field of surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology.

In 1978, Steve and his young family moved to Orlando, Florida, and alongside three co-founders, he founded Sawtek, Inc., a company dedicated to the development and manufacturing of SAW filters used in defense systems, cable television hardware, mobile phones, satellites, and cell towers. Steve served as Chairman of the Board, President, and eventually Chief Executive Officer, implementing an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) for employees in 1992, expanding operations to Costa Rica, and taking Sawtek public in 1996 in the Nasdaq market. Under his leadership, Sawtek grew into a global leader in SAW technology. The company was acquired in 2001 by TriQuint Semiconductor for approximately $1.3 billion. Steve continued to serve on TriQuint's board until 2003. That company would later become Qorvo, Inc. (Nasdaq: QRVO) through a merger with RF Micro Devices, a key player in modern communications technology.

Beyond his professional success, Steve was a generous philanthropist and passionate supporter of education and the arts. He donated $1 million to endow a chair in the electrical engineering department at his alma mater. He was also a member of the Society of International Business Fellows and The Executive Committee group (TEC) a consortium of business leaders. In Central Florida, Steve was a proud supporter of Opera Orlando and other artistic endeavors.

Steve discovered a love for golf at the age of seven, using his mother's clubs and never looking back. Golf became a lifelong passion that brought him joy, friendships, and family memories. He loved traveling the world, cooking big Italian cuisine dinners (complete with hefty Barolo wines), sip the low flying bird, and groove to smooth jazz while pointing his fingers to the beat.

Steve was a man who valued fairness and held strong to his principles, often challenging others to do their best. He will be remembered for his intellect, integrity, generosity, and for his love of his dear wife, Kathy, his kids, and grandkids.

Steve is survived by his wife, Kathleen Miller; children, Kevin (Morgan) Miller, Richard Miller, and Meredith (Brian) Lowe; his brothers, Doug (Mary) Miller and Todd (Patty) Miller; his sister, Nancy (Steve) Rubin; and his grandchildren, Cameron Miller, Ben Miller, Jack Miller, James Wilcke, Kaitlyn Wilcke, Jude Miller, Emerson Lowe, and Eleanor Miller.

A funeral and celebration of Steve's life will be held on May 12, 2025, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford, SD.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to First Tee of Central Florida or Opera Orlando.