Louie Russell Luther, Sr.
October 25, 1926 ~ November 2, 2011
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Louie "Lou" Russell Luther, Sr. passed away peacefully at home on November 2, 2011.
Born in 1926 to Thomas Allen and Martha Gaston Luther in Asheville, his lineage dates to some of the earliest families to settle in western Buncombe County. He attended Asheville City Schools and graduated Lee H. Edwards High School before attending Asheville-Biltmore College in 1943.
During WWII, Lou served in the US Navy from 1944-46. Returning home, he joined his father and brother and began a long career with the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper, retiring from the circulation department.
He was a member of Mt. Herman Masonic Lodge #118 and had been active with the Asheville Chapter of BPOE Elks where he served as Exalted Ruler. When health allowed, he regularly attended Mission Hospital's Heart Path and Pulmonary Rehab programs.
Lou had a lifelong curiosity of mechanical devices and never missed a chance to see how things worked or how they might be repaired. Through his life's observations, he was quite the historian on Asheville since the 1930s and could tell endless stories of streetcars, soda fountain days, and whose families used to live in which houses.
He was preceded in death by brothers, T. Allen, Jr. and Phillip L. Luther and is survived by brother, David G. Luther; daughters, Sherry L. Coffey, Mardy Murphy (Bill), and Sue Lane Muesing; son, Louie "Russell" Luther, Jr.; grandchildren, Sean Coffey, Christy Coffey Ferguson, Jennifer Murphy, Melissa Murphy Miller, Desire Luther, Maria Luther, Russell Luther, III; and two great- grandchildren, Alexis Coffey and Gabriel Coffey. He will be missed by a large extended family.
A service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue with Pastor Lisa Hartzog Hannah officiating. The family will receive friends in the chapel one hour prior to the service. Private burial will follow in the family cemetery.
Flowers are accepted and appreciated or memorial donations may be made to Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church, 171 Beaverdam Road, Asheville, NC 28804.
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To Louie’s family: Your Dad will be missed.
He was a wonderful man and friend. My sincere sympathies.
Louie’s Family, particularly David Gaston, Louie was in high school with me and David and his wife Eula Mae were long time friends. I remember too his Mother’s years on the school board and his brother’s death in a sledding accident.
We are never ready to lose our loved ones and the only comfort has to come from Faith in the Sovereignty of God and the manifested concern of caring friends. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Joe and Zunita Clark
I will be praying for your family. May God comfort you at this time.
To the Luther Family: Lou was a wonderful neighbor and friend. We will cherish the many memories that we have of him and they will contiune to bless our lives. Lou made the most wonderful pound cake and it was one of the highlights of our neighborhood gatherings. He will be missed for many reasons but will always be remembered fondly. May the Lord Jesus Christ comfort you in this time of loss with His great and unmatchable love.
So sorry to hear about Lou. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. So glad Gene and I were able to visit with him not long ago.
We were sorry to hear of Mr. Lou’s passing. Our hearts go out to his wonderful extended family—dear neighbors and friends. We will miss your father & grandfather. It was an honor to know him. Blessings for you all. Love, the Maurers