Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 31, 1994 TAG: 9405310128
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRISTIAN TOTO SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
After retiring from nearly 39 years at Virginia Tech's tailor shop, Miller is teaching his skills to his son, Kevin, even though the 59-year-old tailor thinks "not too many young people are interested in [tailoring] anymore."
In December, Miller had the chance at Valley Cleaners and Tailors to manage the tailoring department as well as train his son. Forty years of experience may be impossible to pass on, but under Ralph's direction, Kevin Miller is getting a feel for the job.
"I'm learning the basics, but some of the work is a little tricky," said the younger Miller, who also had worked summers for his father helping to tailor cadet uniforms at Virginia Tech. "Dad's the master."
His father is quick to compliment his son's progress. "I've trained tailors at Virginia Tech, and Kevin has caught on very quickly. I'm not just saying that because he's my son."
While that's probably true, it may be hard for Ralph to step back far enough to criticize his son - the two are inseparable.
"We have a unique relationship," Kevin Miller said. "We're together all of the time."
After spending the week focused on work, father and son spend weekends hunting, fishing or enjoying a night out with their wives. Even with all the time spent together, both profess their relationship to be stress-free.
Perhaps the environment has something to do with it. Valley Cleaners and Tailors is nestled on Kabrich Street, tucked away from the bustle of Main Street but close enough to ensure a steady stream of customers. The shop offers services such as monogram work, military insignias, alterations and button-hole repairs.
Knowing so many Blacksburg residents gave the Millers a solid customer base.
Said T.O. Williams, assistant director of the Alumni Association at Virginia Tech: "They're part of the community."
Even with the busy prom season coming to a close, the conveyors are thick with sports jackets and dresses. "Business is progressing real good. ... I'm tickled to death," Ralph Miller said.
George Simmons, professor of biology at Virginia Tech and a valued customer, finds Ralph Miller a pleasure to do business with. "The first thing you see is his friendliness and sparkle," he said. It's the same sparkle that emerges when he greets you, whether he's known you for a day or a decade.
"Tailoring is an ancient kind of trade," Simmons added. "For whatever reason it hasn't caught on in this country. It's sad."
His admiration for Miller's work is clear. "What he does is remarkable. It borders on art."
Kevin Miller's stocky build reminds one of his days as quarterback for Blacksburg High School, if his dad doesn't remind you first. He graduated from New River Community College with a degree in Industrial Instrumentation, spending summers working with his father.
His degree field offered few job options in his hometown, one reason he chose tailoring.
The Millers' roots run deep in the New River Valley. Both father and son attended Blacksburg High School. They even shared the same athletic coach, Bill Brown. Ralph's daughter, Glenda Kincer, teaches at Christiansburg High School and his wife, Joann, is secretary at the health and recreation department at Virginia Tech.
Ralph Miller got his start as a tailor at 17 from Angelo Lomascolo, a family friend who took Miller on as an apprentice at Tech's tailor shop. Miller remembers him as a second father. In their six years together, Lomascolo taught him there are two ways to do things: the right way and the wrong way.
In 1958, Miller joined the National Guard and served for 31 years. The experience shaped his life in several ways, most importantly forging friendships that would last for decades.
One of those friends, Blacksburg lawyer Jay Price, recalled a story that typifies Miller's inherent good nature. "We were in basic training together," Price said, "and I got real sick, pneumonia or something." Missing training time was grounds for repeating the process, but a concerned buddy saw him through the illness. "Ralph was in the next bunk and he stayed with me for two or three nights."
Serving in the National Guard came with a price. He was nearby when a mortar exploded, leaving him dependent on hearing aids. He gestures casually to the devices, without bitterness. "That's what I was there for," he said.
Kevin Miller points to the military awards adorning the shop, including one from Ralph Miller's Reserve unit, as one reason for the store's success. "They're a good icebreaker. They allow people to put their trust in Dad," he said.
Ralph Miller plans to retire in a year or so, leaving the trade in Kevin's hands. But Kevin Miller isn't sure what his dad will do next. "He's worked all his life. I can't imagine him not having a job," he said.
Ralph Miller isn't sure, either. Right now he's doing exactly what he wants, giving what he can to the community he's called home all his life and spending as much time as he can with his favorite apprentice.
by CNB