Obituary of Ronald Lee Servoss

On October 11, 2021, Dr. Ronald L. Servoss, husband of Linda (Jiles) Servoss, passed away after a lengthy illness. Dr. Servoss was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Florida. He was the first in his family to pursue higher education. However, Dr. Servoss’s path to Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California was not direct. There were journeys abroad, working on rockets while at Martin Marietta and earning a bachelor’s degree with a physics major in Tennessee.

After completing his residency in anesthesiology, Dr. Servoss served his country as an officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the only one of the nation’s uniformed services dedicated solely to protecting America’s public health. Medicine was not just a profession, but is what defined him.  As an anesthesiologist, he devoted himself to caring for patients, including many years practicing at C.J. Harris Regional Hospital, a Duke LifePoint Partner, in Sylva, North Carolina.

Dr. Servoss was always exploring new places and pursuing exciting adventures including sailing excursions, navigating the full length of the Tennessee River, and finding the most obscure scenic campsites all over North America.  Dr. Servoss was also a technophile and lifelong learner - always excited to delve into mastering a new challenge.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children (Amanda Smith, Shawn Servoss and Stephanie Servoss), one grandchild (Erin Candler), two brothers (Gene Servoss and Larry Servoss), and cousins, nieces and nephews. We are sure that if there are new roads to explore, he is putting the “pedal to the metal” and charging off with Odie (former pet Yorkie) as his sidekick.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 pm on October 18, 2021, at Appalachian Funeral Home in Sylva, NC.  In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates memorial donations to Duke Children’s Hospital or your favorite charity.