Rick & Mary Adie ’75
To see Phil “in action” was to witness a master who knew the value of making others feel important and respected.
Click on the name to open and read the Story
Susan Guerin ’83
Phil sat next to me in one of my first classes. He would share the school notices with me and made me feel like part of the school. Even at 19, he was gracious, warm and was there to make introductions.
Margaret Timmons ’03
Be kind, be genuine and be boisterous- thank you for all you taught me Phil- forever cheers!
Baron AhMoo ’93
Phil was always generous with his time and his network and I can only hope to pay it forward.
Stephen Anderson ’85
A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of Phil and I often ask, “What would Phil do in this situation?” He was kind, caring and always had your best interest at heart.
Tyler Lavin ’10
You always knew you would be greeted with a smile and a warmth from Phil that made you feel worthwhile. I hope to pay it forward like Phil for the rest of my life and miss him.
Danny Sikka ’01
I always say I owe much of my professional success to The Hotel School, but a large part of that was starting off on the right foot on day one with Phil Miller.
David Weber
He was always busy, but always had time for Delta Chi in his plans.
Andrea Foster ’96
...we have each been forever changed for the better by his authentic friendship and engagement in our lives.
Chuck Geerhart ’81
Phil was perhaps the funniest guy I ever met.
Kevin Carey
Along with several of his classmates I was made to feel both welcome and appreciated (by Phil).
Ibrahim Desooky ’18
He encouraged me to boldly go and explore, transforming my education and allowing me to take the trip of a lifetime.
Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00
Although he made fun of my Turkish Coffee shots I knew he was one of my biggest fans and I was his.
William (Bill) Minnock III ’79
What I enjoyed the most was when Phil introduced me to some Hotelie – a student, a recent graduate or someone looking for a career change.
John Hansen ’83
I owe a lifelong affinity for single malt Scotch to an evening drink at Ruloffs with Phil.
Alexander Koch ’04
"Phil is the head of Alumni Affairs and Inflating Student Egos. He's exceptionally good at his job."
Tara Lobo ’15
He had eyes and ears all over the school and somehow had spotted me. I was flattered, and extremely lucky, for to be looked out for by Phil is a cherished privilege.
Gordon Moriarty
He taught me to have courage when meeting people for the first time, to trust myself, to take chances, and to venture out of my comfort zone. I will always be indebted to him for those lessons.
Gary Brown
Phil not only knew where everyone was but also shared a story about the grad. He had an amazing memory!
Kurt Johnson
I would have never met the team of survey researchers from AirBnB. Phil in his traditional fashion befriended them, and introduced them to our "gang."
Giuseppe Pezzotti ’83
Phil was a complete GENTLEMAN, he had class, sensitivity, compassion, demeanor, propriety, decorum.
Benoit Gateau-Cumin ’75
Did anyone ever see Phil without his incredible smile?
Richy Petrina ’01
Even the most mundane situation would quickly be filled with laughs and great story-telling (with Phil).
Olivia Forster
Phil connected me to music, to friendship, to Manset, to so much that truly makes up my personal identity.
Jonathon Spada ’10
His love for the School of Hotel Administration and the people that went there was unparalleled. He was the consummate Hotelie indeed.
Thomas Cleary ’89
My favorite line from PMIII was when he said "Cleary, you like to have people think you do not work that hard, but it is a like duck paddling! Massive activity behind the scenes. smooth on top. I call that studied nonchalance."
Courtney Bisbee
Phil was one of those warm personalities that made you feel as if you'd known him forever.
Russ Urban ’81
My close friend Phil Miller has always been instrumental in fueling my Hotelie fire.
Mel Richards ’67
A mutual friend and fellow Cornell Glee Club alumnus, Mike Newman, recruited Phil to crew for me Sunday afternoon in PHRF sailing races on Cayuga Lake. It was immediately obvious that he needed little training. Sailor was just one of many hats Phil wore well.
James Nannos ’11
Phil truly embodied the spirit of being a hotelie and bending over backwards to help whomever he touched.
Stephanie Gwinner Haswell ’97
My lasting memory of Phil is just that every time we met up or exchanged messages I received an overwhelming jolt of positive energy, enthusiasm, and fun.
Barbara Higgins ’88
For me, Phil was a trusted partner, an executive coach, a terrific ambassador of the Cornell Hotel brand, and a genuinely good person.
Karl Schwolow ’01
Phil was the walking embodiment of a true Hospitality Master.
Henrik Mansson ’00
His ability to remember people, names and situations was phenomenally impressive and was what I believe set him so much apart: he was genuinely interested in others and loved to make connections and introductions for others in a very unselfish way.
Michael Clouser ’90
"We had beers and he introduced me to some other hotelies and told me 'See, that is what I do, I put Hotelies together'."
Polly Miller
"We used to joke around because he always called me a cousin. Well, sort of but not really."
Rob Walters ’83
"I had the great pleasure of making music with Phil, as a Cornell undergrad and then as an alum, for 40 years."
Chuck Hooper
"One memory is always going to be the first memory that comes to mind when I think of Phil."