Born in Portland, Oregon, Voorhies studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley, and painting at the CSFA under Maurice Sterne. He spent most of his life as a resident of his native city except for travel in Europe and periods of study in the San Francisco Bay area. For three months in 1930 he assisted Diego Rivera on a mural at the San Francisco Stock Exchange. From 1939-57 he taught at the Portland Museum Art School. Voorhies died in Portland.