Bill Worth, passed away on Dec. 11, 2024, after 98 years of wonderful life and adventure.

Born in the Belgian Congo in 1926 to parents working as career Presbyterian missionaries, Bill and his father spent many days roaming nearby jungles and fishing local rivers for goliath and tiger fish. He developed a passion for fishing for that lastest the rest of his life. He attended high school stateside when his family was called back to the U.S. in 1941, as World War II made travel from Africa dangerous.

Bill served in the U.S. Army at the end of WWII, working as a medic in Tokyo as part of the U.S. occupation of Japan. After the war, he earned a degree in biology from the University of Richmond, got married to his childhood sweetheart Elnora Anderson, and moved to Tampa. They were married for 55 years until Elnora's death. They had two children, Bunny and Chad. He and Elnora were charter members of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in north Tampa, where they had many great friends. Bill worked at American Can Co. in Ybor City for 27 years. Bill and Elnora retired to Anna Maria Island, where he spent nearly every morning fishing from the Rod & Reel Pier and they stayed active in the Roser Memorial Community Church.

Elnora passed away in 2002.

In 2004, Bill remarried to Cindy Frink, of Palm Bay, Florida. They enjoyed more than 10 years of happy times – spending winters in Florida and summers fishing on Coffee Pond in Casco, Maine. In 2015, Bill was again a widower. He moved back to the Tampa area and lived with and was cared for by his daughter Bunny Worth and son-in-law Ron Smith for nearly nine years before passing away Dec. 11, 2024.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Bunny Worth and son-in-law Ron Smith, his son, Chad Worth, and daughter-in-law, Sarah Worth, his grandsons Tyler Smith and Will Worth, great-granddaughter Mala Swan-Smith, and his sister Ruth Worth Scalera and brother-in-law Phil Scalera. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Ann Worth Coleman Dean.

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Jan 11, 2025, at Presbyterian Church of Seffner, 1906 Lenna Ave, Seffner, FL 33584

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Bill's preferred charity, the IMCK Good Shepherd Hospital in Congo via the IMCK Endowment. Online at mbf.org (click GIVE in top right corner, follow next instructions, make sure to add "IMCK Endowment Fund" in the box for "Designation Information.") Or mail a check made out to "Medical Benevolence Foundation" and add a note on the memo line indicating the "IMCK Endowment Fund" and mail to:
MBF
P.O. Box 96877
Washington, DC 20090