Virgil Eugene Doty was born January 21, 1925, and passed away January 21, 2023. He was born in Fort Collins, the first of 12 children born to George Virgil Doty and Goldie Alma Spafford Doty. His childhood was spent on a farm north of Fort Morgan, where he attended school and graduated in 1943.

Gene received a scholarship after graduation from CSU but did not use it because he enlisted in the Army. He went to Battle Creek Michigan for treatment of malaria while he was in the Philippines and was discharged in 1946.

He married Barbara Repp December 27, 1957 in Fort Morgan. They started a Dairy Mart in Brush, which was very successful for two years. He joined Ken Reed Real Estate, getting his license and went to Missouri to Auctioneer school. He was inducted in the Colorado Auctioneer Hall of Fame for his outstanding service. Gene joined Plains Realty in 2012 until 2021. In 1982 he and three others applied for the state bank charter, which named Fort Morgan State Bank. In 2012 the bank was changed to Fort Morgan State Bank.

Gene came from a background of farming and was successful with donating to many charities. He donated funds to the City of Fort Morgan to build the new senior center on Linda Street, which in turn, was named after him. Other contributions have been St. Jude's Hospital, Children's Hospital, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Boys Town, Children's Cancer National Hospital, AARP Foundation, Shriner, National Jewish Hospital, and Cal Farley's Boys Ranch. He also contributed the Doty Ponds in Brush for recreations and fishing.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, George and Goldie Doty; his wife, Barbara Doty; and three brothers, Don Doty, Larry Doty and Burke Doty.

Survivors are his five sisters, Georgia Hultquist and Shirley Kula of Fort Morgan, Udella McConnel of Fort Collins, Joyce Oden of Vancouver Washington, Lori Wageman of Oregon; two brothers, Dale Doty of Cheyenne, Wy, and Ken Doty of Fort Collins; and his daughter, Lisa Blecha of Fort Morgan. There were 32 nieces and nephews in the Doty family.

Memorial services and Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Gene Doty  Senior Center, 307 Linda Street in Fort Morgan. Committal services will follow in Riverside Cemetery's Serenity Falls in Fort Morgan.

Donations may be made to your favorite charity in Gene's name, or the First Christian Church, 225 West Bijou Ave., Fort Morgan, CO.