Dottie Miller was a teacher, developer and the wife of a famous filmmaker

In the mid-1950s, Dorothy “Dottie” Miller (born Roberts) began skiing, surfing, and other adventures at a time when that lifestyle was almost exclusively reserved for men. One day while surfing in San Onofre, she met Warren Miller, who invited her to join him in a tandem surfing competition the coming Memorial Day weekend. They married soon after, on December 21, 1955, and settled at The Strand in Hermosa Beach, where they raised their three children, Scott, Chris, and Kurt.

Warren Miller became a groundbreaking extreme sports filmmaker.

Dottie often traveled with her three children to ski resorts around the world with her husband and his film crew.

Dottie Miller passed away peacefully on May 22nd at the age of 93.

Dottie was born on September 27, 1931. She was raised by her parents, Hilda and Cecil Roberts, and her sister, Patricia. Dottie’s journey was one of endless discovery from a young age. Her father, a retired cavalry officer in the English Army, taught her to ride a horse in the hills of Griffith Park. She attended St. Mary’s Academy and Mount St. Mary’s College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. She became a teacher and, for a short time, a stewardess for United Airlines.

Dottie and Warren Miller at the Miller Films office on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. Photos courtesy of the Miller family

She was best known as the wife of her filmmaker husband, but family and friends considered her the strong, independent person who first attracted him.

She organized memorable gatherings, including neighborhood children’s Fourth of July parades and movie screenings at the couple’s home. The large house in Strand became the summer home for the stars of Warren’s films, including the great French skier Jean-Claude Killy, the Austrian Otto Lang, considered the founder of skiing in America, and the German skier Wilhelm Bogner, whose clothing company introduced stretch ski pants.

While Warren was filming a movie for Hollywood Park, she became friends with racehorse trainer Charlie Whittingham and his wife Peggy. This friendship lasted for 40 years. Dottie could often be found in the winner’s circle when Charlie won a race.

As a member of the Sandpipers Service Club for decades, her leadership and dedication were critical to the club’s fundraising efforts. In the 1960s She directed the annual Fashion Show, the Design House and the Holiday Basket. She built a new circle of friends on the tennis courts at Live Oak Park.

Dottie was also an important support person for Warren’s ski film company, which was based in an office on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach.

During the filming of a television series directed by Warren, a crew member, Bob Schneider, failed to show up for an early morning production meeting. Dottie went to his hotel room, where she found Schneider unconscious and feverish. After being taken to the nearest hospital, he was diagnosed with meningitis. His parents, Bill and Blanca, were flown in a small plane from Hawthorne Airport in Hermosa Beach to say goodbye to their son. A priest administered the last rites. After three days in a coma with his body on ice, Bob survived. He married and raised five children, and was grateful to Dottie for her quick response throughout her life.

Despite the demands of her husband’s expanding film company, which eventually put a strain on their marriage, Dottie always remained resilient and courageous. The couple separated amicably after 20 years.

After her marriage, Dottie returned to her passion, teaching in the Manhattan Beach school district, and later worked in real estate development. In 1982, Dottie and developer Ted Fredericks designed and developed a 32-unit luxury condominium complex on Mammoth Mountain at the base of Canyon Lodge in the Sierra Megeve. In the years that followed, Dottie’s family and friends enjoyed days of skiing with the convenience of a short walk to the lifts.

On a ski trip to Sun Valley, she met Bill Winterhalter, who remained loyal to her for the next 34 years. In 1988, Dottie moved into a house overlooking the beautiful hills of San Clemente. Dottie’s creative side emerged as she knitted sweaters for all of her grandchildren, including matching outfits for their favorite toys.

Her family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Crestavilla in Laguna Niguel and Dottie’s caregivers, Mary Ann Wenger and Elaine Peterson..

Dottie’s legacy of love, adventure and transformation lives on in her children Chris (Dave Lucero) and Kurt (Alison), her grandchildren Jenna (Kyle De Jane) and Ryan, her sister Patricia (Steve Reno), Lori and Eric Denman, her great-niece Dionysius and her long-time partner Bill Winterhalter. A memorial service is planned for later this month. to celebrate a fulfilled, passionate and limitless life. HE