Jordan C. Miller

Please also read Jordan's  sister's eulogy, below Jordan's obituary

Jordan Cole Miller, 37, passed away on April 25, leaving our hearts broken and our lives forever changed. Jordan was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and grew up on his family’s beloved farm in Limon, Colorado — a place that shaped him and remained one of his greatest sources of comfort and pride. He graduated from Limon High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from Colorado State University.

Jordan was a deeply loved son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend. He had a rare charm and a remarkable ability to connect with people. And if you knew him, you knew that beneath his rugged exterior was a soft and tender heart. He had a natural gift with animals and children — especially with his nephew, Aiden, and his niece, Grace, who adored him.

Jordan was an avid sports fan, especially when it came to his beloved Denver Broncos. He was happiest at family gatherings, cooking in the kitchen, gardening, hunting, fishing, and helping his parents on the farm.

He leaves behind his parents, Rhonda and Steve Miller; his sister, Stephanie JoAnne (Stevie Jo) Hardi, her husband Schwan, and their children, Aiden and Grace; his grandparents, Carole and Jerry Monks; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins — all of whom he shared a special bond with, and who loved him dearly in return.

A private memorial will be held. In honor of Jordan’s love for animals, the family welcomes donations to Foothills Animal Shelter. Donations in Jordan’s name may be made online by visiting the Ways to Donate page and selecting Tribute and Memorial Giving at www.foothillsanimalshelter.org.

Jordan’s life was far too short, but his impact was real. He was beloved, and we will carry his memory forward with love.

Jordan Cole Miller: A Sister's Tribute

Hi everyone. Thank you all so much for being here today. I wanted to take a moment to share what Jordan was like to me as a brother. Reverend Hoover has already spoken beautifully about so many of the things that made Jordan unique and special—but I wanted to give you some insider information that only a sister can share.

I would always tell Jordan that he was one of my absolute favorite people to spend time with. I adored his unique mix of a tough exterior and a thoughtful heart. We shared a love of animals. I admired his ability to talk to people from all walks of life—and his gift for interacting with children. And, I couldn’t get enough of his sense of humor—probably because it was the same as mine.

But most of all I loved Jordan because he is mine. My only sibling. My only brother. The love that I feel for him is unconditional. It knows no bounds. It has no limits. It’s hard for me to describe how deep my love is—it isn’t something I can control or stop feeling – it just is.

Jordan and I share a special bond, and we brought out both the sentimental and the silly in each other. We had many goofy pet names and nicknames as a way of showing our love. I called him “Smoochie Bird” and “Smooch,” and he called me things like “Weebie,” “Stephers,” and “Seester.”

As children Jordan and I were the ultimate playmates. Of course we fought often as siblings do, but I remember the many hours we played together – playing in the wheat truck or pretending to be Ninja turtles with our cousin Zach or racing around the old golf cart all over our farm. I remember how much Jordan loved Christmas and how we would sleep in the same bed together every Christmas Eve and wake up in the middle of the night to tiptoe out to see what Santa had brought.

As we got older, we found new ways to bond. In middle school and late elementary school, we spent hours playing video games together like Super Mario World or Donkey Kong. Even then I remember being touched because often I would be the one playing the game and Jordan would be just watching but helping me figure out the strategy or the secrets—and we were just happy to be together.

This is also the time we started watching old Disney movies together. We had many favorites, but one extra special one was The Aristocats because we both loved cats and thought that movie was so cute and funny. Eventually we discovered the TV show Friends and devoured all of the reruns, all the new episodes—we loved swapping quotes from the show. If you’re wondering, “The One Where No Ones Ready” where Joey wears all of Chandler’s clothes and the one with the famous couch moving scene where Ross is yelling “Pivot!” were our top favorites.

Jordan loved to laugh. He also loved to tease me and make me incredibly annoyed. In high school, when he was bored, he would wander into my room just to wallow on my freshly made bed because he knew it drove me crazy to see it wrinkled. And he was thrilled when he met my future husband, Schwan, and realized that Schwan loved to tease me too, so they could gang up on me.

But in addition to giving me a hard time, I also knew Jordan loved me deeply. Over the years I've compiled countless thoughtfully written letters, cards and texts from him. And he would often call me—even when he was busy in high school and I was in college—just to chat and catch up. He would regularly tell me in his notes that I was the best sister in the world, and that he admired me. And I never quite felt like I deserved his admiration. But I did feel really proud that I made him proud.

As adults, our bond continued. There was an especially sweet time before Schwan and I had kids when Jordan, Schwan, and I lived together—and spent so much time together. We loved going out to dinner together and called those outings our “Brother-Sister” dates, which usually involved sushi—something we both loved. During that time, Jordan helped us take care of our new puppy, Scout, who loved Jordan so much—and still does. That was also when Schwan and I found out we were pregnant with Aiden, and when we told Jordan…he broke into tears of joy.

There are truly countless happy and hilarious memories of Jordan I could share. I didn’t mention his high school football or wrestling career—though anyone who heard my unhinged screaming at his wrestling matches knows I was pretty passionate about that. And I don’t think I quite conveyed exactly how much Jordan and I both loved cats, but I also know many of you know the stories of our beloved brother-and-sister cats, Purrs and Snowflake, and our giant tabby cat O’Malley—named after one of the main characters in The Aristocats.

But one last memory I want to share is how very much Jordan loved my kids, Aiden and Grace. He delighted in them, was proud of them, and they absolutely adored him. Jordan started a tradition of buying Aiden “Michael Jordan tennis shoes,” or “Jordans” for Aiden’s birthday and Christmas, and this past year he started bringing Aiden and Grace Starbucks cake pops whenever he saw them—because he wanted to be known as the uncle who always brought the cake pops. Few things brought me greater joy than seeing Aiden, Grace, and Jordan all together.

I really wish Jordan was here with us to see how loved he was, but I believe that he can feel our love right now—and my parents and I feel that love and support from you all, too. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here for my family and for remembering Jordan for who he was at his core—my beautiful, charming, clever, tender-hearted and fun-loving brother.