John Miller, Emeritus Professor of Child Dental Health at the University Hospital of Wales, died on 9 July 2011. A gifted, kind, generous teacher, he inspired many students and was internationally renowned for his contributions to caries research and the understanding of developmental anomalies of tooth development as well as to children's dentistry. John was born in Chinley in the Peak District, educated at Taunton School and Manchester Grammar School then studied dentistry at the University of Manchester. He did his National Service in the Royal Navy leaving in 1948, marrying Mary Spiers, a nurse, and setting up a general practice in Congleton. He initially resisted joining the new NHS, as advised by the BDA; patient pressure persuaded him otherwise. He believed that all practitioners were in private practice but choosing to do a certain amount of work for the NHS. In late 1949 he decided to return to university to study medicine and went to visit Professor Wilkinson, the Dean, who persuaded him instead to join the teaching staff at the Turner Dental School where he gained his MDS and DDS. His research focused on children's dentistry and especially the management of caries in haemophiliacs. In 1961 he was commissioned by the *BDJ* to write their first series on dentistry for children. In 1963 he joined Professor Brian Cooke to develop the clinical training at the dental school in Cardiff, where he remained for his career. He was a pioneer in the development of training of consultants in paediatric dentistry, insisting that Senior Registrars spent time working with paediatricians during their training. Retiring in 1985 he took up making violins and playing golf. He continued making some exceptional violins (and one remarkable viola!) until 2000 which he gave to friends' children who were budding performers. He was happily married to Mary for 62 years, who predeceased him in December 2010. They had two sons, Ian an engineer in the power industry and Alasdair who followed in his father's footsteps and recently helped establish the Peninsula Dental School.