Michael Wortham passed away unexpectedly in Perth, Australia, on May 8, 2014. Michael was born to Doris Collier Wortham and Onial Claud Wortham in Dallas on April 30, 1956. The family moved to Fort Smith, Ark., in 1960 where Michael graduated from Southside High School in 1974. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1978 and then became a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
Michael's career spanned extensive international leadership and executive-level project development roles with companies including BHP Billiton, ConocoPhillips, BP, ARCO, ARAMCO and Sun Oil Co. His career led his family to live across many states in the U.S. including Texas, Louisiana and Alaska, along with various international locations including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Russia, Venezuela, Scotland and Australia.
Michael married Beverly Wright in 1980. With their two sons, they enjoyed traveling God's amazing world, embracing the diversity of people and cultures from around the globe. They established lifelong friendships, always creating a close-knit community wherever their journey led them. Across his life, Michael had an immensely positive impact on the lives of the people around him, both through personal and professional relationships; he could always see the goodness in others, empowering people to grow and develop. In addition to the direct impact he had on individuals, Michael also supported various charitable organizations focused on improving the quality of life for underprivileged children.
Michael was the most loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend, and is survived by his wife, Beverly, who will be moving from Australia to their retirement home on Lake Palestine near Tyler; son, Justin and wife Erin and their two children, Dylan and Kara Wortham, of Haslet; son, Ross and wife Elizabeth Wortham, of Perth, Australia; mother, Doris Collier Wortham, of Van Buren, Ark.; sister, Diana and husband Steven Peer, of Van Buren, Ark.; sister-in-law Melinda and husband William Franklin, of Santa Anna; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and colleagues.
The family will hold a visitation with relatives and friends at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler on Friday, May 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m. with an interment to follow in Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery.
Memorial contributions for Michael may be made to the Kampung Kids, an Indonesian charity in Jakarta that Michael and Beverly have been supporting for many years. The family has set up a website to collect donations: http://www.gofundme.com/kampungkids.
If you are not able to attend the Celebration of Life services and would like to share a memory or condolence with the family, an online tribute wall has been set up by Stewart Family Funeral Home; please visit: http://www.stewartfamilyfuneral.com/obituaries/Michael-Wortham/.
Beth A. Richards (Swenson)
https://legcy.co/3qUmJ2y
Michael Wortham passed away unexpectedly in Perth, Australia, on May 8, 2014. Michael was born to Doris Collier Wortham and Onial Claud Wortham in Dallas on April 30, 1956. The family moved to Fort Smith, Ark., in 1960 where Michael graduated from Southside High School in 1974. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1978 and then became a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
Michael's career spanned extensive international leadership and executive-level project development roles with companies including BHP Billiton, ConocoPhillips, BP, ARCO, ARAMCO and Sun Oil Co. His career led his family to live across many states in the U.S. including Texas, Louisiana and Alaska, along with various international locations including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Russia, Venezuela, Scotland and Australia.
Michael married Beverly Wright in 1980. With their two sons, they enjoyed traveling God's amazing world, embracing the diversity of people and cultures from around the globe. They established lifelong friendships, always creating a close-knit community wherever their journey led them. Across his life, Michael had an immensely positive impact on the lives of the people around him, both through personal and professional relationships; he could always see the goodness in others, empowering people to grow and develop. In addition to the direct impact he had on individuals, Michael also supported various charitable organizations focused on improving the quality of life for underprivileged children.
Michael was the most loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend, and is survived by his wife, Beverly, who will be moving from Australia to their retirement home on Lake Palestine near Tyler; son, Justin and wife Erin and their two children, Dylan and Kara Wortham, of Haslet; son, Ross and wife Elizabeth Wortham, of Perth, Australia; mother, Doris Collier Wortham, of Van Buren, Ark.; sister, Diana and husband Steven Peer, of Van Buren, Ark.; sister-in-law Melinda and husband William Franklin, of Santa Anna; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and colleagues.
The family will hold a visitation with relatives and friends at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler on Friday, May 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m. with an interment to follow in Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery.
Memorial contributions for Michael may be made to the Kampung Kids, an Indonesian charity in Jakarta that Michael and Beverly have been supporting for many years. The family has set up a website to collect donations: http://www.gofundme.com/kampungkids.
If you are not able to attend the Celebration of Life services and would like to share a memory or condolence with the family, an online tribute wall has been set up by Stewart Family Funeral Home; please visit: http://www.stewartfamilyfuneral.com/obituaries/Michael-Wortham/.