Although born in Saskatchewan, Dave Miller moved to Edmonton, Alberta as a youth and began playing ice hockey in junior leagues there. He served in World War II and played ice hockey in England, where he met his future wife, Shelagh. He played on the last amateur team, the Edmonton Mercurys, to win an Olympic gold medal for Canada in ice hockey. His business career was with Waterloo Lincoln-Mercury and he retired as vice-president and general sales manager of that firm. He and his wife retired to Victoria, British Columbia, where his passion was playing golf.