Kenneth James Millar

Kenneth James Millar suffered an acute brain injury during a tragic biking accident in Cedar Falls on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Despite exceptional care from the staff at Mercy One in Waterloo and the Neurosciences ICU in Iowa City, Ken was unable to recover. He passed away on Monday, September 7th, at the U of I Hospitals and Clinics, surrounded by the love and care of his siblings. Ken’s family is grateful for all the caring people who provided support to him and his family. Ken was born in Chicago on February 6th, 1956, to Ruth and Mike Millar. Ken joined his sister Paula at the family apartment and soon after, siblings Lynn and Tom joined the growing family. He and Paula attended Ray Elementary School in Chicago. The Millars moved to Cedar Falls in 1962, where Ken’s youngest siblings, Sue and Eric, were born. Ken attended The UNI Lab School and later graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1974. He loved collecting comic books, going to the drive-in, watching old school horror movies, and decades later, still laughing with his friends about their first jobs at McDonalds. Ken moved to Iowa City after graduation and earned a degree in Sociology, but more importantly, he found his joy in being a lifelong Hawkeye. He loved football and was an original fan of the Iowa Women’s Basketball team. His devotion to the Hawkeyes spanned over 50 years. He has since become a devoted Indiana Fever fan – often reminding his siblings when the games were on and cheering along via text with his sisters. Ken lived in Denver for a period where he discovered his love for long distance running. He ran in races all over the world, from 5Ks to marathons, in interesting places such as Reykjavik, Honolulu, Tampa, and Cedar Falls. Cycling became Ken’s favorite way to stay active. He explored different trails all over the world during his travels. He biked with beloved friends in Florida, and Iowa, always encouraging people to go for a ride. Ken spent most of his adult life in Florida. He joined the travel industry and spent over 30 years helping people plan their journeys. While at Delta Airlines, he was given buddy passes for his friends and family. He brought many of us along on his adventures and was proud that he could help show us the world. On his many travels, Ken would delight in hearing “Go Hawks!” when a fellow fan recognized his black and gold, whether it be in a bar in London, or an airport in Spain. Ken was a joyful board and word game enthusiast, engaging his family and friends near and far in the daily struggle of matching his wits. Ken recently started a cribbage group at the Cedar Falls Library, where community members can now gather to play. We will miss his daily scrabble moves, his wordle scores, and his capacity for winning at Trivial Pursuit. Ken was anchored by his friends and family. His friendships covered decades and were deeply rooted in wherever he called home. He was the kind of person who stayed in touch and always wanted to know everything about everything. Left to share stories and memories are: Paula Millar Coombs (Jim), Tom Millar (Sue), Sue Millar (Dennis Barnett), Eric Millar (Stacey), many loving nieces and nephews, the extended Covino and Millar families, and Ken’s beloved friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Mike Millar, and his sister, Lynn Millar. Please join us as we celebrate Ken’s life on Wednesday, June 16. 2026 at Richardson Funeral Service 615 Main Street Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. with a service immediately following at 11:30 a.m. There will be a picnic lunch at Gateway Park Pavilion, Cedar Falls. Hawkeye and Indiana Fever spirit wear encouraged! Please direct any donations to the Cedar Falls Library in Ken’s memory.

Kenneth James Millar

February 6, 1956 - September 7, 2026