Orren Beaty III

Orren Beaty III, 78, of Asheville, NC passed away on the morning of October 28, 2024 at Deerfield Retirement Community. He was born November 13, 1945 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the son of Orren Beaty Jr. and Mary Turner Beaty.

Orren graduated from The University of Richmond before earning his PhD in Physiology from Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He conducted postdoctoral research at Mayo Clinic before taking a teaching position at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine of A.T. Still University. His love of service and people led him to earn his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine there. After finishing his Medicine/Pediatrics residency at Brody School of Medicine at ECU, he completed his Pediatric Oncology Fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Wanting to return to NC, he took a position with Asheville Pediatrics, but was soon approached about starting a Pediatric Oncology program at the Graham Children’s Health Center (now called the Zeiss Children’s Cancer Center) . He successfully guided the development and acceptance of the program into the national Children’s Oncology Group. This was significant in that COG membership allowed the children of WNC to receive the same cancer treatment as at larger medical centers, but closer to home. Treating children with cancer was his passion, his quiet nature and quirky sense of humor enabled him to immediately connect with his small patients.

Orren had many passions and hobbies, including photography (of both nature and family), listening to a wide range of music, hiking, and especially came to enjoy working on his bonsai trees in retirement.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Norma Beaty of Asheville, NC, daughter Katherine, her husband Bence Beky, grandchildren Nandor, Panka, and Aniko Beky of Cambridge, MA; son Will Beaty and his wife Tina, grandchildren Trace, Cormack, McKailin Beaty of Falls Church, VA; son Andrew Beaty of Cookeville, TN; sister Laura Beaty of Fairfax, VA; nieces Mason Berry of Fairfax, VA and Ryann Roberts of Chicago, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Orren’s memory may be directed to Memory Care, 100 Far Horizons Lane, Asheville, NC 28803 or Arts For Life, 7 Beaverdam Rd. Suite 207, Asheville, NC 28804.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Orren Beaty III, please visit our floral store.