Heath Anthony White

Heath Anthony White, son of the late Charles and Patricia White of Asheville, NC, passed away at the age of 54 on December 11th, 2023.

He will be lovingly remembered by his sister, Aubrey Anderson, her husband, Douglas Hollifield of Fletcher, NC, nephew, John Oliver II of Asheville, NC, aunt Nina McKinney of Newland, NC and two cousins - who were more like brothers - Chad McKinney of Johnson City, TN and Chris Ollis of Charleston, SC, cherished mother in law Pat Ditzler of Asheville, NC and numerous friends including a special friend Sarah Braswell of Charleston, SC.  

Heath was predeceased by his loving wife, Jennifer Ditzler.

Heath was an Asheville native and grew up on the water. His love for the river began in the early 70s when he would kayak and canoe down the French Broad with his father. As Heath matured, his passion for whitewater and outdoor adventure expanded; working as a raft guide across the country for several years. In 2000, Heath started Huck Finn Rafting in Hot Springs, NC, a highly successful commercial rafting company.

In 2008, Heath married the love of his life, Jennifer Ditzler. The two took many river trips together and tackled some of the most challenging whitewater in the country, such as the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and Utah’s Green River. After cutting his teeth as a business owner, Heath expanded further into the world of river tourism, launching Zen Tubing together with Jen in 2012 - a venture that would quickly become one of the biggest names in outdoor recreation in the Western North Carolina area. Heath had an unrivaled passion for outdoor beauty and was involved with Riverlink, the Western North Carolina Alliance and Asheville Greenworks.  He was passionate about helping others and founded Volkswagen Revival which donated all proceeds to Black Mountain Home for Children.

Heath believed that God’s creation gave each and every one of us an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of our natural resources. He truly lived every moment to the fullest and would want nothing more than for all of us to do the same.

A Celebration of Life Service is scheduled for December 27, 2023 at 2pm Glory Tabernacle Church 1221 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, NC 28803.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Black Mountain Children’s Home at www.blackmountainhome.org.