Obituary of Walter Fritz Theodor Worth

Worth, Walter F., née Wűrth, was born in Salzwedel, Germany and died on November 16, 2018 of complications from colon cancer.  He immigrated to Canada at the age of thirteen unable to speak English, and within ten years was at M.I.T. studying for his M.Sc. and D.Sc. in Chemical Engineering. Walter achieved great success not only in his field, but also in his personal life. He possessed a prodigious intellect and curiosity about the world and was graced with a sense of humor, honor and integrity that endeared him to all who knew him.  A man of refinement and culture, he was a patron of the arts and a faithful supporter of his alma mater, the University of Toronto. He will be remembered for his love of life and love for his family, his remarkable wit, genteel demeanor, and a humility that defined him despite the successes of his life. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, their husbands and six grandchildren.  Walter, who anglicized his surname to Worth from ‘Wuerth’ midway through life, was a loving son to his father, Walter J. Wuerth, (née Wűrth) and his mother, Ruth Maria Hildenbrand, who both predeceased him. He was adored by his wife, Madeleine, for whom he served as inspiration for the heroes she wrote about in her novels for Penguin.

A memorial service for Walter will be held in the chapel of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, at 11 a.m. on December 22^nd  with internment to follow in early summer 2019 in Canada, when he is laid to rest beside his parents. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Baylor College of Medicine, care of Dr. Benjamin Musher, BCM, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, with the memo specifying the Walter F. Worth Memorial Fund.