ROBERT WORTHEN

Robert Deane Worthen Colonel, U. S. Army (Retired) Robert Deane Worthen, husband, father, grandfather, step-grand father, great-grandfather, uncle, brother and friend passed away on 10 November 2010 at St. Marks hospital. He was born 1 November 1919, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Lester Henry Worthen and Lenora Wilson Worthen. He married LaVaun (Bonnie) Whitney, daughter of Newel K. and Marguerite C. Whitney of Salt Lake City, July 1943. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. Colonel Bob led a life of service to his family, his country, his church and his community. He is survived by his beautiful and brilliant wife, two sons; Jeffrey Scott Worthen, South Jordan, Utah; and Mark Whitney Worthen, Jefferson City, Missouri. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren, two step-grand children and 19 great-grandchildren. Bob had the pleasure of sealing many of his grandchildren to their spouses. Grandpa had great love and admiration for his two sons and their wives and all of their children. Bob graduated from West High School in Salt Lake City in 1936 and later attended the University of Maryland, at College Park, Maryland. He was employed as an Explosive Operator at the Army's Ordnance Arsenal in Clearfield, Utah in 1941-2. The Arsenal wanted to declare him essential to government industry at the outset of World War II but he wanted to be with his peers. He was drafted in June 1942, commissioned from Officer Candidate School in May 1943, and offered and accepted a commission in the Regular United States Army in 1949. He served a total of more than 32 years, until August 1974. He always wanted to serve a full lifetime career in the military. He served in many key positions for 20 years in the US, nine years in England, France and Germany, one 1/2 years in Taiwan, and one 1/2 years in Vietnam. He was assigned to the Office, Chief of Ordnance in the Pentagon in Washington D.C. as a Captain. During his career he held many and varied staff positions in the Ordnance Center and School and in the Development and Proof Services of the Research Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. After receiving his Commission in the Regular Army he was assigned to the Ordnance element of Headquarters, US Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany. He was a graduate of the Ordnance Officer Advanced Course and the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He participated in several Advisory and Staff functions in the Military Assistance Advisory Group Taiwan in 1957-8. Bob organized and commanded the 711th Air Assault Maintenance Battalion in the 11th Air Assault Division at Ft. Benning, Georgia in 1963-4. The 11th was later reflagged as the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) in 1965, and sent to Vietnam. He was assigned to the Los Angeles Ordnance Procurement District and later the Defense Contract Administrative Services Region. He commanded a District in that Region which administered contracts for the entire Defense Department. He was promoted to "full bird" Colonel, became the Director of Doctrine at the Ordnance Center and School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and was later assigned as Commander of the U.S. Army Depot Complex, Eastern France with the objective of closing 28 installations. Upon closing these installations and having the Flag lowered he presented the Flag of the United States of America to the local Mayors of several towns in remembrance of the United States Army. He was then transferred to Kaiserslautern, Germany to command the largest U.S. General Supply Depot. He served in Vietnam in 1969-70 as commander of the 26th General Support Group, consisting of five Battalions, and was in direct support of the 101 Airborne Division and two Combat Brigades. His last Army assignment was in the Office of the Secretary of the Army in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. where he was a Procurement Advisor to the Secretary of the Army. He retired from the Army on 31 July 1974. The Colonel received many medals, awards and decorations during his military career. Among these were the Presidential Unit Citation, Legion of Merit with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Ribbon, and many others. He is most proud of the Good Conduct Medal he received while serving as a First Sergeant in Cadre School in 1942-3. Very few Regular Army Officers are authorized to wear that medal. Upon retirement Bob was employed by an association in Washington D.C., the Aerospace Industries Association that worked with all aircraft and aerospace companies in the U.S. dedicated to improving the quality, safety and costs of all types of aircraft and space vehicles. In 1980 he and Bonnie were called by the LDS Church to preside over the Misión Peru Lima Norté, where they worked with almost 500 missionaries. This was one of the choice experiences of his life. He and Bonnie returned from Peru in 1983 and were called to serve another mission in the Church Office building as Director of Church Service. In addition, Bob and Bonnie have served missions in the New Zealand and the Washington D.C. Temples. During Bob's Army career he and Bonnie were active in the LDS Church, holding many key positions at Branch, Ward, and Stake level. In Germany he was on the Stake High Council of the Servicemen's Stake and Bonnie was the Stake Primary President. In 1988-89 Bob was employed in the Missionary Department of the Church to assist 50 Mission Presidents in their work. Dealing daily with these great people was an outright joy for him. The integrity, loyalty, kindness and dedication of all those with whom he worked made an impression that he has always cherished. Bob was called as a Sealer while serving as an Ordinance Worker in the New Zealand Temple in November 1991. Upon returning from New Zealand in 1993 they served in the Salt Lake Temple as Ordnance workers and sealer. The Salt Lake Temple experience was the spiritual capstone of his church career. Bob loved the Salt Lake Temple and all the workers. He has been a Sealer and an Ordnance Worker in the New Zealand, Salt Lake and the Washington D.C. Temples and has also sealed in the Timpanogos, Jordan River and other temples. Bob and Bonnie were also called to be German Extraction Missionaries in 1997. Besides loving the Church, the Army and the Country, Bob had two main hobbies. He loved photography and golf. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters; Vera Geneva Worthen Jensen Goodell of Goodson, Missouri, Afton Lenora Worthen Alder of Salt Lake City, Utah and his brother, Paul Warren Worthen of Layton, Utah. We thank all the doctors, nurses, and others in the various doctor's offices and especially in the LDS and St. Marks Hospitals. A viewing will be held at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Sunday, November 14th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held Monday, November 15 with a viewing at 10:00 a.m., and the services at 11:00 a.m. at the Mt. Olympus 4th Ward, 4176 Adonis Drive in Salt Lake. Interment will follow the services at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.