Dr. Eugene Darwin Voth

Dr. Eugene Darwin Voth, an Asheville orthodontist, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 21, at the age of 80. Gene was born on Feb. 14, 1937, in Shafter, California, the only child of Alfred Allen Voth and Lucille Velma Tohm. He was raised in a farming family and moved to Scappoose, Oregon when he was a young boy. No stranger to hard work, as a teenager he worked in a sawmill, as an apprentice to an electrician, laid tile, and farmed acres and acres of vegetables. Gene was gifted with a brilliant mind and after college at Pacific Union College, he attended Loma Linda University (LLU) School of Dentistry. While there his keen intellect, work ethic, and attention to detail were recognized and he was groomed to be an educator as well. Gene received an M.A. in Dental Materials as well as a D.D.S. in 1963 from LLU and a second M.A. from Indiana University in 1966. He then taught at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and published many scientific articles. He graduated from Orthodontics at LLU in 1968. At that time the Medical College of Georgia was just beginning a dental school in Augusta and he was moved there to establish an orthodontic department. He remained there four years. In 1974, Gene opened a private practice of orthodontics in the Flatiron Building. He continued practice until 1992 when he was forced to retire because of a tragic accident. His excellence was unsurpassed and his patients loved his gentle touch and dry wit. As a young man, Gene loved riding motorcycles with his buddies in the canyons of Southern California. He had a passion for fast cars, especially Corvettes, and was a member of the Asheville Pistol and Rifle Club. A lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist church, he served as an elder for many years and was a benefactor in the building and furnishing of the Warrensville, N.C., Seventh-day Adventist church in Ashe County. He was happiest outdoors, whether he was gardening, hiking, shooting, or exploring the Southwest around Tucson, A.Z., where he and his wife spent many happy winters. Although never pretentious he had a fine eye for quality workmanships and loved Native American art. Gene was blessed with a loving and devoted wife for 30 years. His children admired him and his grandchildren adored him. He would sit by their sides in a playhouse for hours, or push them on the tire swing until his arms gave out. He was a generous, kind, and quiet scholar whose quick wit and smile will be remembered by all. Gene is survived by his wife, Lori Powell Voth; his three children, Bradford Alan Voth, Roger Kent Wolff Jr., Dr. Mary Lorena Wade, and son-in law Dr. Robert Leonard Wade Jr.; his four grandchildren: MaryKent Renee Wolff, Camryn Lenn Wolff, Robert Leonard Wade III, and Madeline Lorena Wade. The funeral service will be held Sunday, Nov. 26 at 11:00 a.m. at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian, 72 Long Shoals Road, Arden, N.C. The family will begin receiving visitors at 10:00 a.m.