Richard Ernest Toth

Richard Ernest Toth, better known as Ric, passed away suddenly on the night of
December 13th, 2021 due to diabetes and heart complications. With his (ex-?)wife, sister, and
two girls on the way to be with him, he spent his final moments holding his dear nephew
Christopher’s hand while listening to one of his favorite songs “My Hometown” by Bruce
Springsteen. Ric went to be with our Lord that night at 8 p.m. at the age of 69.

Ric was born on July 30, 1952, in Trenton, New Jersey to the late Ernest and Marjorie
Toth. Ric was the youngest of three siblings. On July 19, 1997, he married Janice Clift and
proceeded to father two beautiful girls.

Ric grew up in Trenton, New Jersey and graduated from Steinert High School in 1970; he
then attended university at Trenton State College and majored in political science with a minor in
history. He spent many years traveling around the globe, spending a lot of his time in Austin,
Texas and Venice, California before settling down to raise his kids in Orange, California. In
2011, following the death of his parents, Ric moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina to
maintain his parents’ house.

Ric was a pioneer in the organic produce industry and helped bring the
industry to where it is today. Ric spent his 35-year career shaping organic produce from a
fledgling cottage industry to the growth category it is currently. Ric was an astute buyer and
promoter of organic produce. The industry has lost one of its best original community members.
Ric’s interests included gardening, bird watching, reading, bike riding, weight lifting,
spending time with family, and his favorite activity—ice-cream eating.

He is survived by his two girls, Madalyn (or Bobi) Toth, age 23, and Julia (or Jules) Toth,
age 20, his sisters Margie Harris and Bonnie Bodnar, and his wife Jan Toth.
Ric’s ashes will be spread, as he wished, in some of his favorite places around the globe
with his final resting place being beneath the peach tree in his family’s backyard which he
planted to teach his girls about the circle of life.