Obituary

Judy Carol Whitley Worrell passed away at the age of 69 on Thursday, December 19, after a courageous 22-month journey through cancer. Her loving spirit is carried on by her daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, her parents and brother, and especially by her adored and adoring husband, Kenneth Worrell. Inseparable from the moment they met in 1962, Judy and Ken spent 49 years of marriage in service to their country throughout their long careers in public education and the United States Air Force, respectively.

A graduate of Benvenue High School and UNC-CH, Judy started her award-winning career in teaching in Selma, Alabama, and followed Ken’s military posts in Nevada, California, New Mexico, Virginia, and Texas. During Ken’s time in Vietnam, Judy cared for her young daughters in Rocky Mount and kept him entertained with news from home through loving letters in her immaculate cursive. A much-beloved English teacher for almost four decades, Judy had an unmatched gift for words, both written and spoken in her soft North Carolina accent.

We were blessed to learn many lessons from Judy, our favorite teacher, over her 69 years:

Buy American whenever you can.

Rides are best in a Cadillac with deep leather seats and piano music in the CD player.

A proper breakfast includes a grande skinny Starbucks vanilla latte.

Naps are best when taken in your comfy burgundy leather chair in front of the television.

It’s fun to chat with strangers, whether you are in line at the grocery store, on the subway in New York City, or enjoying a nice glass of zinfandel at a picnic table in Napa Valley. New friends are everywhere, and old friends are the best.

It’s easy to make a huge difference in the life of child: Read to them, cook their favorite foods, listen to their every story, and fill their life with music. Throw your arms open wide to wrap them in a hug every time a child walks in the room. Hold them to high standards, and know they will rise to the occasion. Love them when they fall and help them get back up again.

Take time to notice the sunset and smell the roses.

Judy is survived by her beloved husband, Kenneth; their daughters Alicia (husband Scott Probasco, and daughters Caroline, Catherine and Mary Claire), Jennifer (partner Peter Mack), and Sara (husband Charles Berg, and son Macklin); her parents, Paul David and Bertha Mae Whitley; her brother, Paul R. Whitley; sister-in-law Christine Shirley Anderson; and many family members and friends in North Carolina and Texas. Judy was welcomed into Heaven with open arms by her sweet in-laws, Thurston and Gertrude Worrell.

A service to honor Judy was held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville, Texas, at 3 PM on Monday, December 23. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to "The Judy Worrell Memorial Fund" at the American Airlines Credit Union, which will be used to establish a scholarship fund for graduates of North Richland Middle School where Judy taught for over 20 years.