Beloved son, brother, grandson, friend, sailor, student, dungeon master, chef, mixologist and all-around iconoclast, Ezra Miller passed away unexpectedly at home in Charlotte, Vt., on February 25, 2026.
He was born seven weeks early, on January 6, 2000, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Jason and Rachael Miller. He survived cancer at age 2 and was twice hospitalized for asthma. At age 5 the family moved to Shelburne, Vt., to see if a change of environment would improve his health. The clean air of his adopted state did him well, and he grew into a hale young man who loved being outdoors, especially in and on the water. Upon arriving he asked, “Mama, why did it take us so long to get here?”
After Shelburne, the family moved to Johnson and then Hardwick, where he was homeschooled until the 10th grade. This provided him ample free time to explore his own interests and develop lasting friendships. He had a curious mind (in both senses) and used it to learn and to make memorable and unique observations. He was a generous person who had more than enough to go around, and he expressed it through his benevolence, grace and love for every being. His appreciation for animals, plants, art or even well-made objects could bring him to tears.
The elders in his life enjoyed his company, and even as a child he was a welcome and lively participant in adult social activities. To Ezra, age did not define a person. He could develop a friendship with anyone, young or old. While he wasn’t always agreeable, enjoying a good-natured argument, he was never mean-spirited or cruel.
He loved his adopted home state and its lakes, ponds and rivers. With his sisters, Phaedra and Sylvie, he spent countless hours in Lake Champlain, Caspian, Nichols Pond, Green River Reservoir and the Lamoille River. By the time he was in high school, he had developed a passion for sailing and spent his afternoons, weekends and summers at the Lake Champlain Sailing Center. While he loved competing, he was not competitive, preferring the camaraderie of the team and developing his own skills to winning. He was an odd mix, easygoing but not lazy, confident but not arrogant. One of Jason’s favorite memories is sailing with him on a rented boat in the Netherlands when they visited the summer before his senior year of high school. His unflappability in piloting the craft, a larger one than he was used to on a lake he did not know, set his anxious father’s mind at ease.
He entered Roger Williams University in 2019 and studied mathematics and philosophy. His 2023 graduation with a double major was one of his proudest accomplishments; he positioned his diploma prominently in his apartment. In 2022 he spent a semester abroad in Paris, studying at the Catholic University. His confidence and lack of ego enabled him to develop a comfort and facility with the language that his father saw when visiting him in November of that year. Ezra always loved maps and used that passion to explore the city on foot and on the metro.
After graduation, Ezra worked at various jobs while figuring out what was next for him educationally or professionally. For example, he joined Rachael in her work, acting as a substitute teacher at the local school. Ezra came home joyful and full of stories due to his ability to stay calm and curious while keeping everyone safe and engaged. As in every other part of his life, there was no desire to hold grudges, to act rashly out of anger or pettiness, just the patience to wait for the storm clouds to lift.
During this time, he strengthened his connections to the people around him. He became an integral part of his household and the Ten Stones Community, where the family moved in 2015. In recent years, he and his father had their own private book club, which gave a veneer of respectability to the weekend cocktail hours they enjoyed. Without fail, he kept up a Friday night Dungeons & Dragons group that brought together his childhood friends from the Northeast Kingdom and college, even when he took his last great adventures over the course of 2025. He marked his 25th year with a solo visit to Texas, where he visited his relatives and bought the Stetson hat and cowboy boots that became his signature look. (Well, aside from the crazy homemade shirts that he always loved to wear!) He took a trip south to visit college friends and family in Washington, D.C. He drove across the top of the U.S., following Route 2 as much as he could, ending his westward journey in Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, before heading back home to Vermont.
He spent his last days applying to the systems engineering master’s program at Johns Hopkins University and was excited about the prospect of continuing his education. He and his father spent the Sunday before his death touring the USS Constitution, eating Italian food in Boston and purchasing specialty liqueurs in New Hampshire for some new cocktails to try. The day of his passing he was going to spend with his dear friend Adrian.
Anyone who knew Ezra knew they never crossed paths with another like him — he was truly one of a kind. A friend commented that Ezra was always an active part of any gathering until he wasn’t. He left when he was ready, what they call an “Irish goodbye.” Well, he did it again, but for the last time. He leaves behind family, friends and a community that miss him dearly but are comforted that he enjoyed the time he had here until the last. Good night, sweet Cowboy. See you on the other side.