Family and friends remember SF State student Travis Miller as a well-rounded young man who possessed a great deal of talent, deep passion for politics, and love for his adopted hometown of San Francisco.

“He was doing exactly what he wanted, exactly where he wanted to be,” said Julie Miller, Travis’s mother.

Miller was playing video games at his home on 19th Avenue near the SF State campus when he suffered a fatal seizure Aug. 28. He was 23.

According to Julie Miller, Travis had a history of epilepsy and was taking medications to control it.
Travis Miller was born in San Luis Obispo and spent most of his life in the nearby community of Atascadero. After graduating from Atascadero High School in 2001, Miller attended nearby Cuesta College.

“He just couldn’t wait to leave Atascadero to come to San Francisco,” his mother said.

Miller started at SF State last fall, where he majored in creative writing. He also studied drama and played guitar.

Andrew Posen, Miller’s friend and roommate, recalled Travis as a loyal and compassionate person.

“He stood by you no matter what,” Posen said. “Anyone who really got to know him was really touched by him as a person. He was a great person to have in your life.”

Miller was also known for his devotion to political and social-justice causes, actively participating in protests on and off campus.

“He was a very intellectual person,” said Tristan Norton, another roommate of Miller’s. “We’d have a lot of in-depth discussions about things.”

Posen recalled a time when the College Republicans held an anti-immigration rally on campus.
Miller showed up at the protest in a suit and tie. He carried a boom box, and proceeded to play a Dead Kennedys album at full blast to drown out the sounds of the Republicans.

“It was his own way of making a statement,” Posen said.

Miller loved Kung Fu movies, going to concerts and dining out while he lived in San Francisco, his friends said.

Funeral services for Travis Miller were held Sept. 2 in his hometown of Atascadero.