Ivan “Rex” Miller, age 89, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2026, in Georgetown, TX.

Born on February 23, 1937, in Springfield, Ohio, Rex was the son of the late Irwin and Maude Miller. He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio alongside his older brother Gary. As boys, the two brothers roamed free, embarking on countless adventures in the beautiful expanse of Mill Creek Park - a chapter of his youth he always held dear.

Following his high school graduation in 1954 Rex attended Youngstown University where he majored in accounting. After joining Automatic Sprinkler Corporation as an accountant he soon transitioned into their management training program and launched a highly successful lifelong career in the commercial fire sprinkler protection industry, eventually becoming President of LaDew Fire Protection. His industry dedication and expertise took him from Youngstown to Minneapolis, to Houston and finally Dallas. In recognition of his profound lifetime contributions to the industry, Rex was inducted into the Fire Sprinkler Hall of Fame in 2013. His participation in an outside interest also earned him recognition and an Outstanding Leadership award during his tenure as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Houston Martini Foundation & Trust.

Rex was a man who lived large and possessed a commanding presence. He was a true adventurer at heart who dared to dream big and then confidently set out to fulfill those dreams. His zest for life took many forms: he played a vigorous game of racquetball; he was a deer-hunter extraordinaire, owning a deer-lease in the Texas Hill Country; he bought a sailboat and learned to sail; and he even decided to go to flight school. After obtaining his private pilot’s license, he and Beverly enjoyed many sky-bound adventures in their Cessna 172. He even taught Beverly how to fly the plane in case she ever needed to land it. For many years he participated in an annual “Boy’s Ski Trip” with a private group of business associates which naturally resulted in many legendary tall tales.

Rex’s competitive and fun-loving spirit knew no bounds. In fact, his photograph earned a spot in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as the “style” champion in an escargot-eating contest. While living in Dallas he ran several 5K Thanksgiving Turkey Trots. Later in life he eagerly embraced the pickleball craze for seniors, and he was always ready to challenge his grandsons, and especially one of Bev’s nephews, to a spirited table tennis match.

Family was a cornerstone of Rex’s life. From his first marriage in 1958 he was blessed with two children, Denise and Jeffrey. From his second marriage in 1966 he welcomed his two younger daughters, Monday and Marli.

It was during his time in Dallas that Rex met and married Beverly, his cherished wife of the past nearly 30 years. Together they shared a beautiful life filled with deep love, companionship and a shared passion for travel and golf - a sport they spent many hours enjoying together throughout their retirement. Upon retirement they moved to the scenic Texas Hill Country in Kerrville, eventually settling in Sun City in Georgetown, TX. After moving to Sun City, Rex took immense joy in being reunited with his older brother Gary and his sister-in-law Julia. The two brothers rarely missed a treasured Friday morning breakfast ritual where they solved all the world’s problems and re-lived the adventures of their youth.

Retirement opened the door to so many shared experiences for Rex and Beverly as they cruised the world, spent vibrant summers in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and eventually settled on escaping the Texas heat at a summer home in the New Mexico mountains. But of all the places they traveled, Rex’s absolute “Ahhh, this is paradise” happy place was on the lanai of their condo on the lush and peaceful island of Kauai. Nothing made him more content than basking in the sun with a gentle breeze and napping to the soothing lull of the Pacific Ocean surf.

Rex’s legacy of warmth, dedicated work and enthusiastic devotion to life lives on through his wife Beverly Miller; his children Denise Martin (and Anita Goff), Jeffrey (and Teresa) Miller, Monday (and David) Fougeron, Marli (and Neil) Atkinson; Beverly’s children Michael (and Nati) O’Laughlin and Angela O’Laughlin; Rex’s brother and sister-in-law Gary and Julia Miller; and a lifetime of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and dear friends collected through the years.

A memorial service to celebrate Rex’s extraordinary life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at First United Methodist Church, 1004 N. Mays St., Round Rock, TX 78664. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rex’s memory to the church at www.fumc-rr.org/give. Memo: Rex Miller.