Obituary of Alan Douglas Worrell

Alan Douglas Worrell Alan Douglas Worrell passed away quietly at his beloved home on Fishtrap Loop on Monday, June 24, 2013. He was 83. Alan was born on March 6, 1930 in Clarinda, Iowa to Frank and Nina Worrell. He graduated from Medford High School and attended Oregon State University. He also served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1955, receiving the National Defense Service Medal. He became an Air Traffic Controller for the FAA in 1956 and would serve that agency loyally until his retirement at the end of May, 1980, less than two weeks after the Mount St. Helens eruption. Alan had one particular and admirable trait that set him apart – he firmly believed that any activity he pursued was worth his total attention and best effort. This attitude came from his service in the Air Force as well as his years as an Air Traffic Controller working at the FAA Center, Auburn, WA. There was absolutely no room for error in his profession and he was dedicated to that truth and he never failed. After retirement, he was able to focus and expand on a lifelong hobby, that of being a modern day version of a “Mountain Man.” He was a licensed trapper and hunter and fisherman, active to a professional level. One year he applied for and received a State tag for Mountain Goats, a very difficult and usually unsuccessful effort. It was the only trophy he ever had mounted. After years of conventional hunting, he felt the game was at a distinct disadvantage and decided to level the playing field. He worked at bow hunting, mastered it, and finally settled on black powder smooth bore rifles, essentially a musket. The game was now, more often than not, the winner. He was practically legendary in his ability to take Steelhead Trout and was always willing to share knowledge with other fishermen, extending beyond fish to clams, crabs, oysters and smelt. Alan religiously practiced and understood the delicate balance between man, the environment and its occupants. Most recently, he was an enthusiastic collector and seller of antiques at the Lighthouse Antique Mall. Alan married Esther Louise Lapay in 1957 and they were together until her death in 1995. He later married Ruth Marie Strindberg in Kona, Hawaii on April 26, 2000 and they spent their happy, though too brief, years together at their home until her death in 2007. Alan was a special man who was a cherished presence in many people’s lives and his passing will be a loss for us all. He is survived by his sister, Harriet “Corinne” Hilton; and step-daughters, Myra (Richard) Martin of Silverton, Oregon, Kirsten (Britt) Kauffman of Seattle, Karen (Greg) Henderson of Hampton, Virginia, Linda Bundy of Blaine, Washington, and Jackie Kelly of California. There will be a graveside service at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at Tahoma National Cemetery in Covington, and a celebration of his life for friends and family at a later date. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, please donate to a cause of your choice in Alan’s name. Please leave memories of Alan or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.