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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2020)
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 7 Obituaries Thomas Kinney Worcester February 12, 1929 — July 3, 2020 Thomas Kinney Worcester, 91, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Friday, July 3, in Sisters. Born February 12, 1929 in Boulder, Colorado, Worcester attended Boulder High School. After high school, Tom joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and gradu- ated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Journalism. After college, he fulfilled his duty with ROTC and proudly served in the U.S. Navy. Worcester was an hon- ored member of the Ancient Order of the Deep, hav- ing crossed the equator as a Midshipman aboard the U.S.S Theodore E. Chandler on August 12, 1949. Continuing his naval service, Worcester served in the Korean War. While on leave in 1951, Worcester returned to Boulder to marry Lois E. Nichols whom he met at Boulder High School. Following his active duty, Worcester remained in the U.S. Navy Reserves on the destroyer escort U.S.S. McGinty, until his retirement as Lieutenant Commander. After his military ser- vice, Tom and his bride Lois, returned to Colorado Springs, where he became an instructor of journalism at Colorado College. In 1958, Worcester and his family moved to Portland, where he joined the faculty of Reed College. In December of 1970, the Worcester fam- ily moved to Clackamas, to live on a small farm along the Clackamas River. It was here that Worcester contin- ued his career as a freelance writer, editor and photogra- pher with numerous cred- its to his name; including coffee table books such as <A Portrait of Oregon= and <A Portrait of Colorado=. As well as the biography, <Norjak: An Investigation of D.B. Cooper.= Tom and Lois shared a fondness for horses, skiing, camping, fly-fishing and traveling with their kids. Upon retirement in 1990, it was the love of fly-fish- ing and all things outdoors, that brought Tom and Lois to Sisters to be near Tom9s, beloved Metolius River. Tom and Lois enjoyed skiing at Mt. Bachelor and HooDoo Ski Area. Additionally, they traveled annually for ski- ing, to Idaho, Colorado and Utah for many years. It wasn9t until they turned 85, that they hung up their skis. Taking yearly trips to Mazatlán and other locations throughout Mexico, Tom and Lois took great inter- est in touring and learning about many of the ancient pyramids. In addition, they traveled much of our great country and Europe was a favored destination for the Worcesters. Worcester proudly served the Sisters community as a Kiwanian working on high- profile events such as the Sisters Jazz Festival and the Sisters Rodeo. Tom9s com- munity service was noted by many honors, includ- ing Sisters Citizen of the Year in 1995; the Kiwanis Spirit Award for 2006-7 and Kiwanian Of the Year in 2007-2008, to name a few. In addition to his commu- nity service, Tom broke out his French Horn after many years, to become a proud and dedicated member of the Cascade Horizon Band. He then again <retired= his horn in 2018, at the age of 89. Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 69 years Lois Worcester. His chil- dren; Ken Worcester, Laura Worcester-Law and Mollie Worcester, all of Oregon City, as well as Andy Worcester of Bend. Tom was the proud grandfather to three granddaughters and a grandson, as well as two great-grandsons. Worcester Bette Jean (Dean) Little August 8, 1927 — July 8, 2020 was preceded in death by son Phillip and daughter Sharon. In 2019 the Sisters com- munity held a celebration marking the 90th birthdays of both Tom and Lois. At his request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, Tom requested donations be sent to the Kiwanis Club of Sisters 328 W. Main Ave. Sisters, OR, 97759 and/or Candlelighters for Children with Cancer www.candle lightersoregon.org or 6200 SW 92nd Ave., Ste. 160 Portland, OR, 97223. Bette Jean (Dean) Little of Sisters was born August 8, 1927 and passed on July 8, in Idanha, Oregon. Bette was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Ada, Oklahoma. She graduated from East Central University in Ada. She taught school in Kansas and California for 40 years before retiring to Oregon. She married three times and out-lived them all. She is preceded in death by a brother, a child, a grand- child and a great-grandchild. She is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. With her third husband (G.V. Little), six adult children and their descendants joined the family. Our beloved matriarch is returned to Oklahoma to rest with family. This lovely Christian woman is a loss to family, friends and the world. 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