St. Joseph man inspires community with daily walks

Oct. 5—Walking is healing for a St. Joseph man known to many for the friendly salutes he offers during his 18-mile daily strolls around town.

Larry Miller, 76, walks miles around the city daily with a smile on his face, waving at every vehicle passing by him.

Some people may wonder how long this walk takes, but for the North End resident, it's not about the time. He told a News-Press NOW reporter who joined him on a daily walk that he does it for sentimental reasons.

"If I didn't do this every day, I wouldn't be here," Miller said. "Everybody says 'Larry, time heals a broken heart,' but no it doesn't. Time makes it worse, and by walking, I'm able to cope with what I've been through."

Miller is referring to the death of his wife, who died of pneumonia in 2017. They were married for 56 years before she passed away.

He's also been through his own trauma after battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma twice.

Patients at the Mosaic Cancer Center in St. Joseph, where he was treated, wait for him to walk by each day expecting a wave, Miller said while offering a greeting.

"That's where all my buddies are, right up there," he said. "Those nurses saved my life. There are some amazing people over there and I'll tell you this, if I don't wave at the hospital and even some cars driving by that I may not see, I'll hear about it."

Some people may know his story, others may not, but what they do know is Miller always finds a way to make someone else's day better.

"I've noticed Larry walking around town for about two or three years now," said Marsha Sheeley, a St. Joseph resident. "The way he smiles and waves at everyone is just contagious no matter what kind of day you're having, and one day after leaving the hospital, I had to turn around and go meet him."

Sheeley and others in the community have expressed their gratitude for Miller's ability to turn their day around, which his family is grateful for.

"Right after Mom passed, he would just take off walking," said Amy Green, Miller's daughter. "To see how much he's impacted everyone over the past few years doing that makes all of us (kids) so happy. The people who honk and wave back at Dad make his life so much greater than it already is."

Even if he doesn't get a wave back, Miller spreads love to everyone.

"I really love people," he said. "Sometimes I see a lot of sad faces, so I treat people the same way I want to be treated."

The outpouring of support Miller receives from residents has even started a conversation on social media about starting a "Walk and Wave with Larry Day."

"Eighteen miles is a lot, but I would walk that many just for him," Sheeley said. "There's so much crime and other bad things going on and we need more people like him."

Jenna Wilson can be reached at jenna.wilson@newspressnow.com.