Born in Spearfish, South Dakota, Miles grew up farming, sheparding, and selling tractors in the Badlands of The Dakotas. After earning a degree in electrical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines, Miles served in the Army during WWII, then obtained an MBA from UC Berkeley. In the small town of Huron, South Dakota, he met and married Stamatena ‘Tena’ Manolis. They left their wedding reception riding a John Deere Manure Spreader (his idea). They honeymooned in the Caribbean, which inspired the name of their firstborn, Carib.

Miles enjoyed a life-long love for small airplanes, flying, crop dusting, fly fishing, and bow-hunting. They moved to the Seattle area where he worked for Boeing and raised their four children: Carib, Marty, Maurine, and Karen. Living in the Pacific Northwest inspired his love for mountain streams, boating, canoeing, Decatur Island, snow skiing, hiking, hunting and fishing. He established himself as a quality home builder and developer in the region.

After the premature death of his wife, Miles moved his business to Arizona where he embraced the desert landscape, building homes among cacti, golfing greens and boulders in the Carefree and Desert Mountain areas. He met and married Sondra Sue and continued his love of flying, building a single-engine airplane and an Ultralight in his garage, and all things golf.

He returned to the San Juans for the end of his life to enjoy the view of the sea, the mountains, the calling of birds, the wandering of deer and foxes, while cared for by his two daughters. He died at home on San Juan Island surrounded by the chirping whistle of bald eagles, the splashing of harbor seals, the wind from the sea, and the presence of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is greatly remembered and greatly missed.