Sometimes in life, you hear about someone whose path you wish had crossed your own.

You get a strong sense - even from afar - as to the remarkable nature of a person's life and can't help but feel a little bit robbed that you never met them.

Kyle Miller seems just that kind of remarkable person.

Lacrosse legend, tooth and nail cancer fighter. Motivator. Burgeoning author. At the age of just 31, taken from his family and community. Not just from Miller's native community of Orangeville, Ontario, but from a much, much larger one filled with fans, friends and acquaintances who were touched by his journey.

Part of that family, the Orangevillle Northmen junior "A" team, began paying tribute to Miller on Sunday night, wearing his initials and number on their helmets. Those same initials and number were added to a memorial banner in their home arena. Others paid tribute to Miller through social media. More will add their thoughts at a memorial service on Thursday.

Miller passed away early Saturday morning, succumbing to the ravages of a second battle with cancer, one he'd fought for nearly two years.

Beyond his decorated lacrosse career - he won four Ivy league titles playing goal for Cornell and a world championship for Canada in 2006, Miller's "can do" spirit and seemingly bottomless well of benefaction are being remembered as well.

"He was literally one of the best people I've ever met in my life. He was funny and thoughtful and loved his family and friends more than anything," wrote Andrew McKay, in an email.

McKay, a Yahoo! Canada editor and columnist with a long and dedicated affiliation to the sport of lacrosse, wrote about Miller on many occasions including this fine piece on his friend's relationship with another legendary lacrosse netminder, the late Chris Sanderson.

Miller's lacrosse championships were notable in many ways. Canada had not won the world title in 28 years when he and Sanderson were between the pipes for them in 2006. (You can see Miller make the final save in that victory and the ensuing celebration in the video below. He'd taken over from Sanderson late in the gold medal game with Canada up 15 - 10)

Most notably, that victory, as well as the four titles he was part of at Cornell, came in the wake of Miller having a shin bone replaced as he began to beat back osteosarcoma cancer (the same pernicious disease that the immortal Terry Fox fought) eleven years ago.

It was an incredible recovery and comeback, worthy of astonishment and praise of the highest order but one which Miller apparently saw as just another foe to be defeated.

"He didn't like being sick, but he saw it as just another thing to beat, the same way he had to win the job as Cornell's starting goalie," said McKay.

Beyond the glories of lacrosse, Miller became a dedicated and effective speaker, illustrating the power of triumph over adversity by expressing his own thoughts and emotions around his experiences and had - along with McKay - begun the process of mapping out the structure of a book he'd wanted to write. It's a project that will, hopefully, go on in Miller's memory.

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