Life Tributes Jim Miller

February 2, 2023

James Robert Miller,

67, died of pneumonia on February 2, 2023. By his side were longtime friends, Janan Apaydin and Tim Parker, and Karen Wandvik, his spouse of nearly 18 years, whose heart he captured with his sexy and swingin’ Zydeco dancing, tenderness, quick and wicked wit, and impish smile. In addition to countless friends, he is survived by his cousin, Jeanne Startzman, and her husband, Don, of Edmonds, Wash.

Music was Jim’s passion and he reveled in everything music-related: reading about, playing, buying, and discussing it; sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of it; making killer custom mix tapes for friends; and most of all, listening to it. All else fell away when he listened to music. He drank it in, nourished physically, mentally, emotionally, and creatively; it was truly his life blood. Jim had big ears, listening to all types of jazz, rock ‘n roll, reggae, country & western, hip-hop, salsa, opera, R & B, pop, and more. Rarely was he unfamiliar with a musician or band, regardless of the genre.

His motto was “I’ll listen to anything once.” Even his dreams were about music, populated by his favorite musicians and nearly always in vivid color. A “hipster” at 11, Jim introduced the music of Jimi Hendrix to his 16-year-old cousin, Jeanne, and since she’d not heard “Purple Haze,” he sang it to her in its entirety.

Jim was very proud to be Oakland born and raised, and that seasoning was evident in his soulfulness whenever he danced. He was a sought-after dance partner, and a friend described a cherished memory of Jim leading her in a waltz, saying she felt as if her feet had left the floor.

Happiest when he was drumming, there were few things Jim couldn’t turn into a percussion instrument. An enthusiastic member of Grupo Samba Rio’s Bateria, he was elated to march with them in San Francisco’s Carnaval parade several years. He was also a certified washboard player and voracious reader, who relished talking about not only music, but also sports, relationships, and current events, eloquently expressing carefully-considered, profound and sometimes provocative opinions. A talented and hilarious mimic, Jim loved making people laugh, but freely admitted that “nobody laughs harder at my jokes than I do.” He was gallant, extremely thoughtful, had a lushly romantic nature, and exhibited charming, childlike delight about many things. Jim was a fan of monkeys, Barney Fife, all the Bay Area sports teams, the Brazilian national soccer team, prop humor and bad puns. Blue was his favorite color and “los pancakes” his favorite food; he hated broccoli and coconut.

As he wished, Jim’s body was donated for scientific and educational purposes with his remains cremated. Pinches of his ashes were scattered at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which he attended for more than 25 years, as well as at home amid the poppies, his favorite flowers. A seat is being permanently dedicated to him at SF Jazz Center.

His earthbound family and friends continue to love him madly and miss him keenly. Rest easy among the stars until we meet again, sweet Jim…

“Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before.

They are now wherever we are.”

~St. John Chrysostom