Stanley Miller was born in Aberdeen on Christmas Eve 1938, the son of Robert Scott Miller, a pharmacist, and Mary, née Reid. He was educated at Robert Grodon's College, Aberdeen, and went on to study medicine at Aberdeen University, where he won honours in anatomy. After early appointments he became senior surgical registrar at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and then consultant in general and paediatric surgery there. He was honorary senior lecturer in surgery at Aberdeen University. His ChM thesis in 1976 was on renal function after major abdominal surgery, and he published papers on the ultrasonic evaluation of varicose veins and prostatic surgery. He was interested in angling and golf. He died on 2 July 1996. He was survived by his wife, a son and daughter, and three daughters and two sons from an earlier marriage.