Mr. Gene Edward Worthington

August 3, 1948 – January 11, 2026

Gene Edward Worthington of Fayetteville, WV passed away January 11, 2026, at the age of 77 after a long illness.

Born in Chicago, Illinois August 3, 1948, Gene was a husband, a father, a brother, a grandfather, an educator, a theater nut, a Chicago Cubs devotee, birdwatcher, a connoisseur of the finest beers and an enthusiast of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Gene was a welder in the steel mills of Illinois, when he was invited by his sister and brother -in-law to work at RiJa Machining, in Lochgelly. But he soon got a job teaching welding at the Fayette County Vocational School, now FIT. He taught for 20 years and then became an administer, retiring with 30 years of service to Fayette County Schools. He served as Faculty Senate President and was the faculty advisor for the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), now Skills USA. Through VICA, many of his students competed in state and even national competitions, often winning top honors. He even coached students on Public Speaking and had a winner in that category. A special project Gene and his students completed was welded Christmas ornaments with lights for Hawks Nest State Park, also sold throughout the county. In the summers, he worked as a whitewater raft guide, owned The Book Trader located in Cathedral Café and was a sportswriter for The Fayette Tribune.

Always a fan of theater and acting, Gene involved himself in local productions with the Curtain Callers of Mount Hope. In the 1980’s, he and his wife, Karen Vuranch, created their own theater company, WV Enterprises. (The WV was for Worthington and Vuranch or West Virginia). They performed throughout the state, the nation and abroad to appreciative crowds. He is best remembered for one-man shows of Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, John L Lewis, and Simon Kenton.

In 1992, he and his wife and the Fayette County Historical Society opened the Historic Fayette Theater. From his first production of Foxfire in the summer of 1993 to his final production of Misery in 2022, Gene dedicated 30 years to the theater and directed over 50 shows. He directed the play Grace and Glorie, which took first place in the state theater competition and represented West Virginia at regionals in Florida. And, in 2000, he took the acclaimed play Smoke on the Mountain on a tour of England and Wales. For this, the WV State Legislature proclaimed that the Historic Fayette Theater was an official cultural ambassador of the state. He continued to be an actor as well and performed at HFT as well as in shows in Beckley, including his favorite role of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

In addition to his theater work, Gene was an active in the community, volunteering at the Fayette County Food Pantry, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership WV and the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Hill. The cities of Fayetteville and Oak Hill were appreciative enough of his contributions that they presented him with a Proclamation of Recognition in 2025.

He leaves behind hundreds of students, theatre people, friends and family which includes his loving wife of 39 years, Karen Elaine Vuranch. He is also survived by his sons and their wives, Colin and Jessica Worthington, and Andrew and Amanda Worthington, his brother Gary and wife Dr, Janet Worthington, grandchildren Whitney, Liam, Abbie and Teagan, great grandchild, Branson, his best friend, Pugsley Aloucious Bartholomew IV, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son Zackary Christopher Worthington, his sister Rita Worthington Fredericks and his parents Malinda Goetz Worthington and Hugo Worthington.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, January 24, place to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice of Southern West Virginia (P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802) or The Fayette County Community Foundation (310 Oyler Avenue, Oak Hill, WV 25901) to help the family build a picnic shelter in his memory at the Visitor Center on Oyler Avenue.