Fayetteville, WV - Gene Edward Worthington of Fayetteville, WV passed away January 11, 2026, at the age of 77 after a long illness. Gene was a husband, father, brother, grandfather, educator, theater nut, Chicago Cubs devotee, birdwatcher, connoisseur of the finest beers and an enthusiast of It's a Wonderful Life.

Originally from Chicago, Gene was a welder in the steel mills. He was invited by his sister and brother-in-law to work at RiJa Machining. But he soon got a job teaching welding at the Fayette County Vocational School. A special project Gene and his students completed was welded Christmas ornaments with lights for Hawks Nest State Park. He taught for 20 years and then became an administer, retiring with 30 years of service to Fayette County Schools. In the summers, he worked as a whitewater raft guide, owned The Book Trader and was a sportswriter for The Fayette Tribune.

Always a fan of theater and acting, Gene involved himself in local productions with the Curtain Callers. In the 1980's, he and his wife, Karen Vuranch, created their own theater company, WV Enterprises. (For Worthington and Vuranch or West Virginia). They performed throughout the state, the nation and abroad. He is best remembered for one-man shows of Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth.

In 1992, he and his wife and the Fayette County Historical Society opened the Historic Fayette Theater. Gene dedicated 30 years to the theater and directed over 50 shows. In 2000, he took the acclaimed play Smoke on the Mountain on a tour of England and Wales. For this, the WV State Legislature named the Historic Fayette Theater an official cultural ambassador of the state. He continued to be an actor, performing at HFT and in Beckley, including his favorite role of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

In addition, Gene was active in the community, volunteering at the Fayette County Food Pantry, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership WV and the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Hill. In 2025, the cities of Fayetteville and Oak Hill presented him with a Proclamation of Recognition for his service to the area.

He leaves behind hundreds of students, friends and family which includes his loving wife of 39 years, Karen Elaine Vuranch. He is also survived by his sons and their wives, Colin and Jessica Worthington, and Andrew and Amanda Worthington, his brother Gary and wife Dr, Janet Worthington, grandchildren Whitney, Liam, Abbie and Teagan, great grandchild, Branson, his best friend, Pugsley, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son Zackary Christopher Worthington, his sister Rita Worthington Fredericks and his parents Malinda Goetz Worthington and Hugo Worthington.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, January 24, place to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice of Southern West Virginia (P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802) or The Fayette County Community Foundation (310 Oyler Avenue, Oak Hill, WV 25901) to help the family build a picnic shelter in his memory at the Visitor Center on Oyler Avenue.