Ltc. Richard E. Worden Retired

Ltc. Richard E. Worden, Retired, 83, born May 9, 1931, passed away on November 14, 2014. He was born in Fort Smith, AR to Maynard John Worden, Sr. and Helen Hoffman Worden. He is of the Roman Catholic faith and a graduate of St. Ann’s Academy in Fort Smith. For many years, he gave away finger rosary rings as a tribute to the Virgin Mary. Over time, this amounted to over 5,600 rosary rings given to Catholics around the country to friends and strangers alike. Children, especially his granddaughters, were a special joy in his life and he was quick to give encouragement, support, and laughter to all of them. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a past president of the Downtown Sertoma Club of Fort Smith. He retired from the Arkansas Army National Guard with the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the time of his retirement, he was battalion commander. In civilian life, he worked at Randall Ford for 34 years, 28 in management.

He was preceded in death by his birth mother, Helen Hoffman Worden; his father and stepmother, Maynard and Stella Konert Worden; and an infant brother, Joe Worden.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Doris Ann Simmons Worden; his daughters, Diane Worden Gammill of Little Rock and Laura Worden of Fort Smith; his granddaughter, Whitney Gammill Holden, Ph.D. and her husband Ben of Alexander and his granddaughter Ashley Gammill of Little Rock. He was also survived by two sisters, Victoria Worden Wardlaw and her husband Pat of Waco, TX and Helen Worden Mohr of Toledo, OH; three brothers, Maynard Worden, Jr. of Placentia, CA; Tony Worden and wife Judy of Fort Smith; and Danny Worden of San Antonio, TX.

Pallbearers will be his Godsons Philip Doss and Rick Gammill, his dear friend Randy Spradley, and family members John Weisenfels, Parker Shaw, and James Glass. A rosary will be held at Fentress Mortuary in Fort Smith on Monday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held at Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Barling on Tuesday, November 18 at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Fort Chaffee.