Make a Memory: Robert Miller

Robert Miller is a stalwart figure in my life.

Black clad tallness. Weird architect glasses. His smile blazes across a continent.

Love has many facets. Romantic and passionate.
Stalwart and faithful.

And I love Robert in the stalwart, faithful way.

For almost a decade, MTM and I shared a close life with Robert and his wife Sharon O’Driscoll. We walked to their house for dinners, drinks and conversation. We laughed together about Quirks of the Architect. In the classroom, Robert and MTM sat on numerous reviews, teaching architecture’s future how to design a built environment that will be remembered.

Everything changed when Robert and Sharon moved to Tucson, Arizona. Robert is the Director of the School of Architecture at the University of Arizona, a well-deserved promotion. Two thousand miles away.

Even though he’s one of the busiest people I know, Robert took the time to write a Make a Memory submission. That’s the kind of friend he is. MTM and I miss him and Sharon.

Every day.

Make a Memory. In Robert’s words.

I used to have two good friends. The three of us were, or had once been, university professors. We were all married, rode bicycles, and had other common interests. We never had time for ourselves.

So once a month, every month, one of us treated the other two to lunch at a French restaurant.

We always ordered the same thing—with wine. We sat at the same table. We told the same bad jokes, at which we perpetually laughed.

I now live in a different city. It doesn’t have a French restaurant. And I don’t have two such friends. But I smile when I remember those outings. Every time.

Robert Miller, AIA, is the Director of the School of Architecture at the University of Arizona (2010). Holding a BA in Architecture from Clemson (1976) and an M.ARCH with a Certificate in Urban Design from Rice (1979), Miller worked for several firms in the south before starting his own practice in 1986. An adjunct at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, he taught at Clemson University from 1990-2010, serving as Professor-in-Residence at the Daniel Center in Genoa, Italy (1997-1999) and Director of the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston (2000-2010). For more about Robert, click HERE.

Make a Memory is a movement, a challenge to turn I wish I had into I’m glad I did in 2015. Reach out and claim an adventure this year. Make a Memory before it’s too late.

Who would you invite to Make a Memory? What would you do together?

Share your invitations on social media with the hashtag #MakeaMemory. Tag your loved ones. Make a Memory in 2015. To get started, click HERE.