Fr. Casper J Miller SJ obituary: Life lived for service

Fr. Casper J Miller SJ, an educator, Catholic missionary, and a part of Nepal Jesuit Society, has passed away. He was 90. Fondly known as Fr Cap by his students and well-wishers, he dedicated his life serving the ones in need. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Fr Cap came to Nepal in 1958. He entered the Society of Jesus, also known as Jesuit, in the year 1951, and was officially ordained as a priest in 1964, India. He came to Nepal with a sole purpose of promoting education in rural as well as urban areas, and did so for 65 years. During his working days, he taught hundreds of students and was the oldest missionary to introduce Christianity to the Tamang community in Nepal. He also served as the principal of St. Xavier’s School, Jawalakhel, from 1967 to 1969, and St. Xavier’s School, Godawari, from 1969 to 1975. Fr Cap, who held a PhD in Anthropology, was also associated with Research Writer at Human Resource Development and Research Centre from 1976 to 1987.  He also authored ‘Faith-Healers in the Himalayas’, ‘Decision Making in Village Nepal’, and ‘To Yourself Be True’.

“He was a kind-hearted man who loved trekking, cycling, and going on long walks,” Fr Amrit Rai, SJ said in his eulogy to Fr Cap. “He was very sociable and always left a positive impression on the hearts and minds of all who came in contact with him.”

With growing age, Fr Cap’s responsibility dialed down a little in his 80s, when he became a student counselor for St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, in 2018. He soon retired and stayed in Campion House, where he spent his free time as a community librarian and a writer. Although Fr Cap did not have any major illnesses, he was bedridden for over a month at St. Xavier’s Jesuit Community, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, where he breathed last on 15 Jan 2023. Birth: 13 Dec 1933, Cleveland, Ohio, US Death: 15 Jan 2023, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur