It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Gene Vernon Haverlah, M.D., who left us on April 28, 2025 at the age of 96. Surrounded by his loving wife, Antonia Haverlah, and family in his final days, he passed peacefully while asleep. He was a man of immense strength both physically at 6'3" and mentally, while also possessing profound humor and wisdom, and his passion for hunting and fishing at Lake Amistad is what brought him to Del Rio, Texas.

Gene was born on December 8, 1928 in Three Oaks, Wilson County, Texas to Lee Henry Haverlah and Anna Alma (Matheaus) Haverlah. Throughout his life he believed in hard work and began working at an early age on his parent's crop farm and then for his grandfather at Mobil Oil in junior high and high school. His grandfather, William D. Haverlah, had been a schoolteacher in Germany and taught Gene in German up until the time he moved to Pleasanton, Texas with his family. He played football as a lineman at Pleasanton High School and graduated from there in 1946. He paid his own way to college starting at Texas Lutheran College, then while on his way to transfer to Texas A&M University, his car broke down near San Marcos, Texas, so he decided to attend nearby Southwest Texas State University instead.

Upon college graduation in 1950, he joined the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic Specialist and was trained to provide emergency medical care in both combat and humanitarian situations. Because of his medical training in the U.S. Army, Gene applied for and received acceptance to study medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, graduating in 1958, and then completing his Residency at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. From there, he opened a private medical practice in Poth, Texas, then joined the newly built Floresville Memorial Hospital in 1963.

After many years of practice at the hospital and in private practice, he returned to the U.S. Armed Forces in 1974, entering into the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, and was sent to Elgin Air Force Base in Florida to help provide medical care for Cuban refugees during the Mariel Cuban Boatlift in 1980.

Subsequently, he requested a transfer to the 47th Medical Group at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas as one of the doctors at the base hospital, as he had visited the area before and loved the surrounding scenery and nature, especially Lake Amistad, as well as the numerous hunting and fishing opportunities there.

He also practiced medicine in short stints at emergency rooms throughout Texas in San Antonio, Alpine, Iraan and Fort Stockton. However, Del Rio is where he spent most of his medical career, for over 36 years, from 1980 to 2016, and was one of the most cherished and valued doctors at United Medical Centers until his retirement at age 88.

His passion for people, life, medicine, dance, music, history and the outdoors were unmatched, and he absolutely loved boating and fishing on Lake Amistad (gigging tilapia there as well as flounder on the gulf coast), he cherished the sunsets and wide-open skies of Del Rio, Mexico and West Texas, self-teaching himself astronomy and constellations, and even driving his family over an hour to Loma Alta in the Texas Hill Country at 4am to get a perfect view of Halley's Comet in 1986, or driving his family 10 hours roundtrip to Big Bend just to look at Dinosaur Prints, and even driving 8 hours on dirt roads into Northern Mexico to see the Sleeping Lady Mountains which can be seen from Del Rio and resemble a sleeping woman. Gene also loved arrowhead hunting with his family and had amassed one of the larger collections in Southwest Texas. Arrowheads are smooth river stones sharpened by Native Americans (and prehistoric man) to create arrow and spear points for hunting as well as stone tools for everyday use. He also especially loved traveling to Mexico to dance Polka music with his wife and watching live Mariachi bands, even driving his family the entire length of the country of Mexico, which was not an easy task in the 1980's. He even had a passion for harmonica music having owned and having the ability to play several different types of harmonicas. His unwavering spirit will forever be remembered.

He is survived by his wife, Antonia Haverlah, son Douglas Haverlah, daughter Katherine Haverlah Kolkhorst, son James Haverlah, son Dr. Gene Arthur Devora  M.D., and stepsons Elton Wells and Glenn Wells, along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, who will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest. He was preceded in death by his brother William Charles Haverlah (January 5, 2013), sister Leanna Sylvia Haverlah Koemel (November 1, 2013), son Dr.Vernon Charles Haverlah, M.D. (April 20, 2024) and son David Gene Haverlah (March 19, 2023).

To commemorate his remarkable life and the memories we cherish, a visitation will be held on Thursday May 8, 2025 from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Sunset Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 2020 N. Bedell Ave, Del Rio, Texas

The chapel service will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Sunset Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 2020 N. Bedell Ave, Del Rio, Texas.

The Interment will follow at Westlawn Cemetery, end of 2nd St, Del Rio, Texas.

We welcome all who knew him to join us in celebrating the life of a man who was loved deeply and will be missed.