Dr. Francis Eugene Kaufman passed away peacefully on October 28, 2026, in Medford, Oregon. He was Francis to some, but all his friends and family called him Gene.

Gene was born February 13, 1933, in Ogden, Utah, the first of five children of John Francis Kaufman and Wilda Erwin Kaufman. While the family lived in the farm country west of Ogden, two other children were born: Carol in 1934 and Jim in 1936. In 1937, John followed his mother and stepfather to the small railroad town of Portola in the mountains of northeastern California. Mom and their three children soon followed. Dad eventually became employed as a Brakeman on the Western Pacific Railroad. The fourth child, Joe, came in 1940. Bob, born in 1948, was the caboose of the family train. Portola, California became the permanent home of the Kaufman family.

Gene graduated from Portola High School in 1951 and served in the United States Air Force before beginning his advanced education, which eventually led to a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. After his military service, Gene earned his way through college, working for the US Forest Service in the Plumas National Forest of California. He also managed the Portola Theater for a couple years between his undergraduate studies at BYU and graduate work at Kent State University.

In 1976, Gene bought a small dental practice in Salem, Oregon, where his shingle hung for 39 years. He worked well beyond normal retirement age because he cared for his patients, some of whom became his good friends. He finally retired at the age of 83, shortly after his 4th wife, Brenda, to whom he was married for almost 30 years, and whohad worked with him in his dental practice, passed away in 2014.

After retiring, Gene moved to Medford, Oregon where he re-connected with his second wife, Cathy and their daughter, Gena, and her husband Steve Whipple. Along with Cathy, Gena, and Steve were others of their family, namely Rhoni, Laken, and Billy to whom, Gene became like a father and grandfather during his final years.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Carol, and his brothers Jim and Joe. He is survived by his daughter Gena Whipple (Steve) of Central Point, Oregon, and his brother Bob (Claire) of Chandler, Arizona, and many nieces and nephews who love and miss him dearly, especially all the funny stories he would tell. You really should hear the one about why he chose to be a dentist and not a barber, a cosmetologist, or a mime! It's a classic!

Gene loved the outdoors in California and Oregon. He loved to hike in the mountains, to photograph the waterfalls and covered bridges. And he loved the Oregon beaches. Whenever we visited, he made sure to take us to those places. Beautiful flowers adorned his property wherever he lived because of his love for gardening.

Gene wanted no fanfare at his passing. Sometime in the spring, his family and loved ones will gather to fulfill his wish that his ashes be spread over one of the Oregon waterfalls that he loved. I imagine we'll reminisce by telling a story or two. Gene would love that.

We miss you Gene, but we will never forget the wonderful memories!