A Final Farewell to a Fallen Firefighter

Firefighters, fire police, EMTs, paramedics, police, family and friends wearing yellow and black ribbons offered a final salute to Robert "Robbie" Miller during funeral and burial services in West Chester and Kennett Square Saturday.

Following a funeral service at the Good Will Fire Co. in West Chester, where Miller volunteered as a firefighter, the body of the 27-year-old volunteer was carried to Union Hill Cemetery on a bright yellow Downingtown Fire Co. 1969 Mack pumper truck.

The funeral procession included trucks and an honor guard from the West Bradford Fire Co. where Miller served as a captain and instructor. An honor guard from the East Brandywine Fire Co. where Miller served as engineer lifted the bright yellow casket off the truck. The casket was handed off to pallbearers wearing black shirts with bright yellow vests and bow ties.  Those pall bearers are part of a group of friends who call informally themselves the "just twist it" club. They shared Miller's other passion in life-riding motorcycles. Yellow and black were Miller's favorite colors.

After first responders, friends, extended family and close relatives put bright yellow flowers on the casket an Irish bagpiper played "Amazing Grace." More than a dozen of Miller's riding friends then started the engines of the motorcycles and offered a high volume, engine revving final salute to their fallen friend.

After Miller's casket was lowered into a burial vault, the vault was covered with a lid that features a photo of Miller and images of him as a firefighter, riding his beloved motorcyle and the phrase "just twist it," a reference to the throttle on a motorcycle.

Miller was killed on May 2 in a motorcyle accident near his home in West Bradford.