John E. Worrell

Charlton: John Worrell, a long-time resident of Brimfield, recently of Charlton, died October 18th at Harrington Hospital, Southbridge. Born in 1933, John was raised on a farm in central Indiana, and remained a farm boy at heart all his life. He loved to roam the woods and fields of his childhood home and his home of 51 years in Brimfield, and fields, forests, and deserts around the world, looking for birds, mushrooms and other wild edibles, animals, and archaeological evidences of past human activities. He wore many hats over his life: minister, college professor, archaeologist, museum researcher, activist for civil rights in the US, working with the campaigns of Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King, and then in the Middle East, particularly Palestine
John graduated from Milligan College in Tennessee, and worked as youth minister in his home church in Indiana while earning advanced degrees from Butler University, and then a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Claremont University in California, while working as a minister of social action in a church there. He taught at Phillips University, Oklahoma, Hartford Theological Seminary, Connecticut, and Holy Cross College, Massachusetts. While teaching he worked in archaeology in Israel and Palestine, for a few years as director of an archaeological expedition to Tel el-Hesi in Israel. Then he turned his archaeological expertise to American archaeology as archaeologist, then Director of Research at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts Upon retirement he devoted his energies to human rights in the Middle East, including two years on the ground with Palestinians, and peacekeeping missions to Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams, and to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness.
Throughout all, John was a loving family man. He leaves his four children: Brad Worrell and Catharine of New York City, Bret Worrell of Millbury, Babette Worrell of Worcester, and Lilly Glass Akoto of Vancouver, Washington. He greatly enjoyed his four grandchildren and two great grandchildren, walking, birding, gardening, and always teaching. His life companion of 50 years, Linda Ammons, and lifelong friends, Sandy and Kent McCallum will miss him deeply. He also leaves his brother Phil Worrell of Johnson City, Tennessee, and his sister, Mary Ann Plahitko of Danville, Indiana, many nieces and nephews, and a host of grand-nephews and nieces, and great-grand-nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held November 10th from 1:00 PM -5:00 PM, at Hyland Orchard, Sturbridge. Memorial contributions may be sent to Community Peacemaker Teams, Box 6508, Chicago, IL 60680 or online at https://cpt.org/donate