Friends, family remember Salem teen as passionate, always smiling

When people think of Kenneth W. Miller Jr., two things tend to come to mind — his dirt bike and a smile that could make any bad day good again.

“He had such a magnetic personality,” his mom, Deann Miller, said. “You couldn’t look at him without smiling. … He sucked people in. Even if you were mad … those eyes and that smile, he would look at you and you couldn’t be mad at him anymore.”

Kenneth Miller, 19, of Salem Township had a passion for motocross, spending most of his time riding his dirt bike with friends at Creekside Motocross in Sewickley or at the Latrobe Speedway. He started racing this year, and was leading in points so far this season, his dad Kenneth W. Miller Sr. said.

His son was trying to qualify for a national race at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee next year.

“That’s what he wanted, that was his next goal,” Deann Miller said.

Kenneth Miller Jr. died Sunday, after he wrecked his off-road Suzuki along Sewickley Creek Road, Coroner Kenneth Bacha said. The crash occurred at a friend’s house when Miller failed to clear a table top jump. Medics took him to Excela Frick hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Miller spent much of his time riding with friends, hosting car meets or volunteering to pull demolition derby cars off a track after events at the New Alexandria Lions Club, a pastime he shared with his dad, who volunteered there for about 20 years.

He grew up around mechanics, with his dad restoring old cars and his grandfather, David DeVinney, expressing an interest in Ford Mustangs. Miller eventually purchased his own Mustang, adding it to his collection of trucks.

“He loved vehicles,” his girlfriend, Amber Duke, 18, of Greensburg, said. “He had a new vehicle every month.”

She dated Miller for a little over a year.

“It just felt like we were part of each other’s families,” she said. “If we got bored, we would just go for a drive. We always had something to do. … It was always spur of the moment. We never had anything planned, we just went with the flow.”

His family has received several phone calls and emails from those who knew Kenneth, wanting to show their support for the family and express how he touched their lives.

That support was shown Sunday when more than 200 people gathered in the parking lot of the Latrobe Walmart, a final car meet in his honor. There, friends participated in a candlelight vigil and did burnouts in honor of their friend.

“The last one was the biggest one. … He would have been very proud of us,” friend Zach Pyle, 19, of Ligonier, said.

Pyle and a group of friends are planning a car show in Miller’s honor. The event, which has 1,000 interested people so far, is scheduled for Sept. 5 at the New Alexandria Lions Club. Proceeds will go toward the Miller family.

Creekside Motocross is accepting donations to give to the family. Donations can be made through Oct. 4, reflecting Miller’s riding number 004, said Dave Eisaman, owner of Creekside.

In addition to his parents, Miller is survived his 9-year-old brother Garrett.

Friends and family will be received from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the P. David Newhouse Funeral Home, 215 Church St., New Alexandria. A funeral service will be held there at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“He had so much left to do and I know he would have done great things,” Deann Miller said. “But I also know he would absolutely love all this attention.”