William B. Worley (Bill), 80, passed away on July, 4 2021 at his home in Santa Anna, TX.  Bill was born on February 17, 1941, in Bastrop, LA to Lacy and Dorothy (Cook) Worley.

After spending his early childhood in Louisiana, his family moved to Odessa, TX where he attended Ector High School.  In 1958, at age 17, Bill joined the United States Marine Corps serving in Marine detachments on the USS Toledo and USS Oriskany.  Worley served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the 1^st Battalion, 3^rd Marines.  He was a highly decorated combat veteran and awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars with Combat V and twice received the Purple Heart.

After discharge from the Marine Corps in 1967, Bill married Lois Elizabeth (Beth) Mendoza, settling in Odessa, TX.  He joined the United States Border Patrol in 1971 as a member of the 100^th class of Patrol Agents.  Initially stationed in El Paso, TX he was appointed Patrol Agent in Charge of the Cotulla, TX station in 1977.  Bill served as an instructor at the Border Patrol Academy for the 110^th and 115^th classes.  In 1982, Worley was named Deputy Chief of the New Orleans Border Patrol Sector where in 1985 he was involved in the “Miroslav Medvid Incident”.  During the incident Worley was tasked with boarding and securing the Russian freighter Marshal Konev on behalf of the US State Department in order to retrieve Miroslav Medvid, a Russian national potentially seeking asylum in the US.  Worley’s reputation for outstanding operational performance and steadfast nerve led to him being named the first full time commander of BORTAC, the Border Patrol Tactical Unit.  During his tenure as commander, he established the BORTAC headquarters at Biggs Army Airfield at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX.   In November 1987, Worley was dispatched to the Federal Correctional Institute at Oakdale, LA to assess a potential threat involving nearly 1,000 Mariel Cuban detainees.  During the ensuing riot Worley, along with his small team were credited with securing the prison’s perimeter and preventing the escape of hundreds of federal prisoners as they attempted to breach the facility’s outer walls.  Under his command BORTAC made valuable contributions in stemming the flow of illegal narcotics to the US.  Bill retired from the Border Patrol in 1991.

Over the ensuing years Bill continued to serve the United States in a variety of capacities.  He was employed by E-Systems of Greenville, TX as a Special Missions Program Specialist supporting US efforts in the war on drugs in South America.  Bill traveled to Bosnia & Herzegovina with the United Nations in the mid 90’s to assist in the building of a democratic police force in the former Yugoslavia.  In 1997, Worley was appointed Municipal Judge in the city of Santa Anna, TX where he served until mid-1999.   In 2005, Bill’s service came full circle when he returned to the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM as a Driver Training instructor.  During this time he was able to reconnect with old Border Patrol colleagues and especially enjoyed teaching Emergency Driving Techniques.

Bill and Beth met on a blind date, New Year’s Eve 1966, and were married in Odessa, TX on May 26, 1967.  They celebrated their 54^th wedding anniversary this year.  Bill settled outside Santa Anna, TX in 1993 where he raised cattle and worked to improve his 300-acre property.  He was an avid collector of Native American artifacts and enjoyed reading about the history of Texas and the Southwest.  Bill served as a mentor to many during his life and was enthusiastic in offering support to those motivated to improve themselves.  He was intimidating yet compassionate and was well known for treating everyone he met equally, without regard one’s station in life.  To many he was known as “The Master of Understatement,” rarely wasting words to make a point.

The care, well-being and success of his family was Bill’s biggest passion.  While the love and affection for those closest to him was not always outwardly discernable, it was without question deep and limitless.  He made it clear that everything he accomplished in his career and gained by his personal endeavors was for the benefit and of his wife and sons.  He swelled with pride at the mention of his grandchildren and was always ready to relay a family story whether the listener was willing or not.  That he was surrounded by his wife, sons and their families in his final days is the greatest testament to his legacy.

Bill is survived by his wife Beth of Santa Anna, TX; son and daughter-in-law William (Bill) & Michelle Worley of Tyler, TX; son A. K. (Buck) Worley of Santa Anna, TX; sister Phyllis Conner of Albuquerque, NM; brother Ronnie Worley of Houston; grandchildren Matthew, Xavier, Vincent, William, Reagan, Agnes, Mary, Joseph and Beatrice Worley; grand-niece Kaity Ellis and many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Lacy and Dorothy Worley; brother Michael Worley and countless brothers in arms including Cpl. Brian J. Gauthier USMC and LCpl Kenneth A. Seisser USMC.

A funeral service will be held at the Santa Anna Cemetery Pavilion, 206 Fannin St. at 10am, Wednesday July 7^th.

Visitation will be held at Henderson Funeral Home, 107 S. First St. Santa Anna, TX from 5-7:30pm on Tuesday, July 6^th.  The family will greet friends and relatives from 5:30-7:00pm.  Private burial.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to either the Border Patrol Museum 4315 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Road El Paso, TX 79924-3753 or the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway Triangle, VA 22172.