Mark Hugh Miller

Mark Hugh Miller, a true gentleman whose kindness and incisive wisdom touched all who knew him, passed away on October 19, 2025. An award-winning writer of classic style and unwavering optimism, he was admired equally for his literary accomplishments and his generous spirit. Born in Mitchell, South Dakota, on September 25, 1945, to Melvin and Evelyn Miller, he moved with his family to San Jose, California, in 1953. A 1968 graduate of Stanford University, Mark began his career at the Associated Press, briefly studied law, wrote for National Geographic, and later purchased San Francisco’s historic Tosca Café, where he savored late-night jazz and forged many lasting friendships.

Undeterred by setbacks, he moved to Los Angeles and continued writing for National Geographic while working as a screenwriter for Universal Pictures, serving as a Michelin Guide editor, and contributing a column to the San Francisco Examiner. For fifteen years he served as a writer and producer for CBS Radio Los Angeles. A devoted baseball fan who attended countless Dodgers games, he cherished the sport for its poetry and storytelling. He wrote the original script for the 1992 film Mr. Baseball and in 2007 helped produce the jazz opera Cooperstown: Jazz Opera in Nine Innings, performed during Hall of Fame weekend.

Mark formed deep, lifelong relationships, including with his three childhood friends Tom, Bill, and John, with whom he formed the playful Waffle and Crow Society. A proud American who valued service and compassion, he often quoted The Cider House Rules, urging others to “be of use.” His writing earned the grand prize in the 2003 International Imitation Hemingway Contest, judged by George Plimpton and Ray Bradbury. He maintained warm correspondences with literary heroes such as John le Carré and Thomas McGuane, and delighted friends with letters on personalized stationery featuring his own original art.

In his final years back in San Francisco, Mark worked on his unpublished great American novel while lovingly caring for his wife, Barbara Smeltzer, whom he called his greatest source of gratitude. She passed a month after him. He is survived by his brother Guy Miller, his sister and brother-in-law Susie and Red Adams, his sister-in-law Diana Smeltzer, and his nephews Rob (Catherine) Miller, Tim (Lara) Miller, and niece Meg (Jeff) Thomas. Those who loved him will remember his gentle encouragement toward compassion, curiosity, and service, a presence that lingers long after the final pitch.