Dr. Joseph Allen Worrall Jr.'s Obituary
Doctor Joseph Allen Worrall, Jr. passed away from terminal cancer on July 13, 2014 at his home in Lakewood, WA. Allen was born August 12, 1924 the first child of Ida Violette and Joseph Allen Worrall, Sr. He grew up in Baldwin, NY with his sister Norma. He married Theresa Lenihan, and together they had six children. During WWII he joined the army and was in Army Specialized Training Program. He attended medical school graduating in 1948 from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. A few years later Allen completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. He went on practice medicine for 63 years, retiring at age 86. Allen served in the military for 20 years. In 1966 he retired from the military and moved his family to Fairbanks, Alaska to join the Fairbanks Clinic, just in time for the Fairbanks flood of 1967. He practiced as an Obstetrician-Gynecologist until the age of 68. He delivered too many babies in Fairbanks to keep count. He later developed a specialization in gynecological microsurgical techniques. He then took courses, trained and became RDMS certified as a prenatal ultrasound expert until his retirement at age 86. In 2005 one of his ultrasound images was considered the best in the world, and was printed in Time Magazine. Throughout his career he was respected for his expertise and willingly gave his time to mentor others. Allen had many hobbies and interests over the years. No matter what he undertook he excelled through hard work and practice. He was an outstanding musician, loved playing the piano and was in a choir in high school. He enjoyed scuba diving, ham radio operator, boating, wood work, photography, automobile repairing, computers, and anything technology oriented. He loved running the rivers in interior Alaska in his riverboat. He also enjoyed being part of the Yukon 800 boat race for years as a ham radio safety checkpoint on the Tanana River. He enjoyed teaching his children how to fix things and teaching them to understand how things work. Allen married Mary Conn in 1979 and they moved to Lakewood Washington in 2011.
He is survived by his wife Mary, stepdaughter Diana, and children Mary, Bill, Jim, Judy, and Joe. His oldest daughter died in 2009. He also survived by 11 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Allen’s wife Mary dedicated herself to keeping Allen comfortable throughout his long battle with cancer. Mary and family are grateful for the excellent care that Allen received from the staff at Madigan hospital.
Please send a Memorial donation in lieu of flowers to Department of the Army, Army Emergency Relief Fund, 2166 12th and Liggett Ave, Box 339500 M520, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, 98433-9500.
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