Thomas E Worthen

October 3, 1940 – October 12, 2021

Thomas E. Worthen, age 81, of Woodinville, Washington passed away on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. He was survived by his beloved wife Barbara. His children Connie A. “Hope” Worthen, Jason E. and (Pauline) Worthen, stepchildren Richard Doherty and Hugh Doherty. Grandchildren; Constance Lummus, Valarie & (Nathan) Middleton, Cole Lummus, Will & (Kelly) Lummus, Kaitlynn Worthen, and Meghan Doherty, and Great-Grandchildren: Ryan, Sabastian, and Victoria Middleton. They were Thomas’s pride and joy. And his two brothers; Marvin & (Marcell) Worthen and Nathan & (Janet) Worthen. He was proceeded in death by his parents James & Ima Worthen, Brothers: Robert and Howard Worthen, and Granddaughter Athena Worthen. He also leaves behind numerous beloved nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, along with numerous close family members of his wife, Barbara’s family.

Thomas was the fourth boy out of five born to James and Ima Worthen in Conroe, Texas. He was raised in the country where he developed his father’s work ethic, working alongside his brothers, in the family’s bricklaying business. The Worthen's were a well-respected family and built many of the then small towns prominent businesses as well as homes in the area. He spoke often of his beloved dog “Chico” from childhood, who he insisted was at least as smart as his later dogs Rambo and Sammy, who he shared with Barbara. Thomas was always at the top of his class and had a photographic memory. His high school classmates bragged about his smarts at the many class reunions that he attended over the years, and he kept in close contact with many of them up until his death.

Although Thomas lost his sight at the age of 26, because of an eye disease, nothing deterred him from living a full and high functioning life. After graduating from the University of Houston and attending “The Institute for the Blind”, he moved with his first wife Gay and their daughter to Seattle, WA, after accepting a job with the IRS. He was an excellent taxpayer specialist for 30 years. He helped countless friends and family members with their tax returns. Thomas and Gay remained friends after their amicable divorce in 1993. While growing up with my father (reports Connie), “many people that he talked with didn’t realize he was blind until they saw him use a cane, and when boy friends came over to meet him, he would often be working on a car in the garage. They were amazed that Dad often knew more about what was going on under the hood and where the parts were located than they did." He later went on to rebuild engines with his son Jason, and showed him how to work on cars, and even convinced him to let him drive one in a parking lot one time. That was the only time he drove blind. He also built furniture pieces, while using a table saw and other tools, and kept all ten fingers intact.

Thomas challenged himself to constantly keep learning and demonstrated confidence in everything he did. He was very much like a sighted person; he used a program called “Jaws” to navigate his computer. He was a stock trader pro, he loved day trading! He also enjoyed listening to his favorite sports teams and could cite statistics going years back. Thomas loved God, family, and friends. He knew countless books of the bible by heart. We were all amazed that he could recite an incredible number of verses. Thomas was also known for always looking for the best deal and being “tight” with his money. (This provided for some family humor on occasions too.) He worked hard, bought homes, and left this world debt free. We will always be grateful for the lessons he taught us and his generosity.

A special thank you to Nathan who introduced Thomas to Barbara on a sleighride in Plain, WA in 1993. We’ve had a lot of laughs about this too. Barbara and Thomas became great friends, they bantered and discussed politics almost daily. He loved parties with family and travels to Texas most of all. He has taken his final journey to heaven now. No more pain and suffering. Job well done Thomas, Dad, Grandpa, Great grandpa, Uncle, Brother, Son-in-Law. We will always love and remember you!