Richard (Dick) James Worley

Dick Worley, 74, fell asleep in death on Saturday, August 6, 2011, surrounded by his family at his home. Services will be held Wednesday, August 10, 2011, at 3:00 P.M. at the Cornerstone Community Bible Church (Church of God Faith of Abraham) in Gatesville, Texas. The family will receive visitors at the church following the service until 8:00 P.M. Dick was born Sunday, November 22, 1936, in Monmouth, Illinois, to Frank M. and Hildreth Worley. He was the youngest of three children welcomed home by brothers J.R. Worley and Darrell Maddock. The family lived in Biggsville, Ripley, and Monmouth, Illinois, and eventually settled in Macomb, Illinois. Dick graduated from Macomb High School in 1954. Dick attended Oregon Bible College in Oregon, Illinois, and graduated in 1958. On November 22, 1956, he married Lois M. Crouch, and in 1958 the couple moved to Gatesville, Texas. Dick pastored the Gatesville Church of God from 1958 until 1962. Daughters, Suzanne and Tracy, were born in Gatesville. In 1962, Dick moved his family to Niles, Michigan, where he was the pastor of Hillside Chapel Church of God until 1967. The family moved to South Bend, Indiana, in 1967 and resided there until 1971 where Dick pastored the Morning Star Church of God. During this time, Dick was also employed at Scoremaster where he designed and installed scoreboards. He also worked for the Nissan Corporation installing gymnastic equipment. In 1971, the family moved back to Gatesville for two years, and Dick once again pastored at the Gatesville Church of God. Following this, Dick moved his family to Tipp City, Ohio, where he was the pastor of Brush Creek Church of God from 1973 until 1980. In that year, the family moved back to Gatesville a final time. Dick went to work for the Texas Department of Corrections in November of 1981 at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas. In 1983 he was transferred to the Hilltop Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where he was assigned to work as a yard boss at the Sycamore satellite. In 1985, Dick promoted to sergeant at the Training Academy in Gatesville where he worked until 1991. In that year he transferred to the A. Hughes Unit in Gatesville and worked as a building sergeant. From 1986 until 1993, Dick was also employed by the Central Texas College where he was an instructor for new recruits for the TDC. In 1998, Dick returned again to the Training Academy as a sergeant and retired from state employment in 1999. Dick worked with Carothers Homes in Killeen, Texas, after retiring but returned to work with Texas Department of Criminal Justice again at the Hughes Unit in 2002. He was a member of the perimeter security team there until his second retirement from state employment in 2011. While working with the state, Dick came to be involved in the annual Police Olympic Games in shooting competitions. In 1984, Dick competed for the first time and won three gold medals. He continued to compete annually from 1984 to 2009 (with the exception of 2002) and medaled in competition every year. In each of those years, Dick won at least one individual gold medal as well as at least one gold medal as a member of a team in the competition. In his effort to instill this passion in his grandchildren, Dick supplied each with a Red Ryder BB Gun upon joining the family! Dick married Katy Walls Vanstory on November 19, 1989, and joined their two separate families into one family. Together Dick and Katy ensured their family was knit together with bonds of unconditional love and support. As the family grew, Dick became known as Pop and Poppy to his grandchildren. Dick and Katy often would compete in shooting competitions together. Dick enjoyed teaching and instructing. He loved competing, traveling, all types of music, motorcycles, designing and building things, slots, popcorn, jokes and growing his hair long! Dick loved the Lord God and looked forward to the return of Christ to earth and the coming resurrection. He placed his service to God and his family first in his life. When asked to fill in, Dick took the opportunity to preach in recent years at his church and share his great faith and hope. He was known as “tricky Dick,” generous, thoughtful and loving, many times the “devil’s advocate” but always a man of learning and intellect. His death has left a void in the lives of many which will not be filled. He will be missed greatly by those who knew him. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Frank M. Worley and Hildreth Gertrude Fey Maddock Worley Weber, brothers J.R. Worley and Darrell Maddock, and a grandson Samuel Alan Henson. He is survived by his wife Katy Worley of Gatesville, daughters Suzanne Henson and husband Mark and Tracy Carothers and husband Bobby Joe all of Gatesville, Jolea James and husband Robbie of Robinson, Texas, son Jim Bob Vanstory and wife Mandy of Abernathy, Texas, grandchildren Carolina and Beth Henson, Skyler and Canyon Carothers, Daniel Prado, Kelcy, Jolie and Brady James, Mallory and Brayden Vanstory. Memorials in Dick’s honor may be made to the Cornerstone Community Bible Church of Gatesville or to the Scott and White Hospital Hospice.