Cecil Eugene "Skip" Worrells Obituary (1933 - 2018)

Cecil Eugene Worrells (Skip) was born on March 18, 1933 and raised in Streator, Illinois where he was taught strong Midwestern values by his goodly parents, Cecil Henry Worrells and Florence Hazel Worrells. It was here that he gained a firm conviction, perhaps the theme song of his life, that was to influence him for the rest of his journey here on earth. His guiding philosophy was that the people in his life were important, and every soul was worthy in the sight of God. Skip had a unique and special longstanding group of friends in Streator, Illinois, the earliest of whom, as a toddler, he played with in the sandbox. This particular friend, Ray Stewert, moved to Arizona and coincidentally joined the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints as an adult. As two older men, they on occasion, got together and reminisced, talking nonstop for hours. Where you were Skip’s friend you would be his friend forever! His kindergarten friends eventually attended Streator Township High School where Skip was a strong student and especially enjoyed playing the sax in the marching band. He had a strong bond with a group of twelve boys, eight of whom, (Robert Jones, John Challinor, Arthur Barackman, Richard Godfrey, Michael Dennehe, Donald Branz, Chuck Gautschy, and Russell Scott) he had known since kindergarten. They called themselves the Amigos and have remained good friends their entire lives. He really valued their special friendships. After high school, Skip went on to pursue studies in business and accounting at the University of Illinois. Out of 56 fraternities 1 stood out to Skip. That was Alpha Kappa Lamda who held to worthy standards which they called “the five points.” They sought young men interested in aggressive Christian character, high scholarship, campus leadership, and loyalty to the organization. Skip said that these ideals touched a nerve in his soul, and he could not ignore their importance as a cornerstone for the lifestyle he wanted to continue building. They fit into the pattern of living he had brought from his family home. In the four years Skip lived in the AKL house, he served as treasurer, president and pledge trainer. He was proud of his fraternity and remained good friends with many of them until he passed away. Education was a big part of Skip’s life. He earned his Doctorate in Accounting from the University of Illinois while also juggling the role of husband and father. As his first job, he accepted a position as Director of Finance at the California Society of CPAs. Later, he opened his own accounting practice and taught part-time at several colleges to supplement his income while growing his business. In 1989, during the time of the Bay Area earthquake, he and his family moved to Washington where he entered the Seattle Division of the FBI as a Financial Analyst. He retired in 2008 as auditor of the Seattle FBI. During his year in school, he had an accounting professor whom he admired. He liked the way Professor Mautz conducted his life and the relationships he had with his wife and children. He wanted to emulate that in his own life. He sought out the missionaries who weekly, over banana crème pie and a glass of coke, taught him gospel principles and he made the important decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Shortly after joining the church, he met the love of his life, Sandra Dale Ashby. Skip had moved to California to help his parents settle into their new home. He met Sandy in Stanford Ward, a young adult social group in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At this time Sandy had just bought a brand new blue Buick Skylark afterwhich she bequeathed all her car literature to Skip who had also been looking for a new car. Skip felt those leather seats and thought that to celebrate, they ought to go to Edy’s for a hot fudge sundae. This became a tradition. (Skip never passed up an opportunity for ice cream!). Sandy and Skip were married in a beautiful, backyard ceremony in Hillsborough, CA and later sealed in the Oakland temple for time and all eternity. Skip’s deep love for Sandy was evident in his outward expressions of affection and through all that he did. Anniversaries and Valentine’s Days were never forgotten. Shortly after their marriage in 1968, children joined their eternal union. Julie was born in 1970, Jennifer 1971, and John 1973. Realizing that their family was not complete yet, they adopted Juan “Daniel” Worrells, an 8 year old boy from Guadalajara, Mexico in 1985. Skip was a family man through and through. His family was a priority in everything he did. He told his children frequently how much he loved them. He would always kiss each of us good bye as he left for work. He made time to play with his kids and teach them the things that mattered in life. He created many happy memories for us through vacations and family time. He would share stories of his people. His children knew where they came from because he kept the family stories alive by telling us stories, and that let us know our ancestors’ personalities and habits. Even though we didn’t ever get to meet these people, we knew all about them! He had a strong and special love for each one of his 12 grandchildren: Christopher Busco, Brian Busco, Camille Busco, Angela Busco, Harvey Edmonds, Austyn Worrells, Justin Worrells, Jocelyn Worrells, Sean Berrios, Shane Berrios, Zachary Berrios, and Travis Worrells. And although he has only seen her picture, he thought little Aleah Berrios, who made him a great grandfather almost a year ago, was pretty cute. Skip loved anything to do with music. He played the piano and the saxophone. He was a member of several choirs and sang in quartets and other musical groups throughout his life. When he was a young boy he would go with his parents to his aunt’s home where the adults would play cards around the table. He sat on the floor next to piano where he made his way through stacks of old music. Songs from the 30’s and 40’s became his favorites even though they were before his time. He had a fascination with old cars. He could spot any old car on the street and tell you its make, model and year. He loved coin collecting—a hobby that started with his mother on his frequent trips into Chicago on the train. On each trip, his mother would buy him a special coin to add to his collection. Because his grandfather worked in a bank, Skip, as a young boy, was given a special privilege of sitting at a table and sorting through sacks of coins to find pennies, nickels, and dimes to add to his collection. He enjoyed this hobby throughout his life and would even make some coins into special jewelry pieces which he gave as gifts to family members. He enjoyed sharing his hobby with others. Skip loved history. Although he was not a veteran, he had a deep love for his country, for the flag and all it represented. He will be pleased to know his grave site sits at the base of a tall, beautiful flag in the American Fork Cemetery. In addition to his family members, he was always looking for ways to help others. He provided guidance and counseling to several whom needed it at various times in their lives. He helped some get into school, and through his love and support, helped others find again their lost values. His influence was deep and reaching. A highlight of retired life was the wonderful opportunity of serving a senior couple mission with his wife, Sandy, in the Family and Church History Headquarters Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah. They served from 2012-2014. Skip loved people as was evidenced in everything he did. He believed “the ‘human fabric’ is the most precious and important atom in mortality; the family, the nucleus of human dynamics; the Gospel Plan of Salvation, the spiritual score; Heavenly Father, the Composer, His only Begotten, even Jesus the Christ, the Director who purchased the Copyright.” Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 28, 2018 at 4338 E. Inverness Lane, Eagle Mountain, Utah at 12:00 p.m. with a viewing 1 hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers family has requested that any donations be made in his honor to one of his favorite charities: American Cancer Society Toys for Tots St Jude Children Alzheimer's Association Red Cross