Mary (Owen) Worth

Ludowici – Mary Williams Hendry Owen Worth, 97, passed away Sunday, February 1, 2026, at her home under the care of her family and Hospice of South Georgia.  Mary was born into a large, loving family of grandparents, her mother, aunts, uncles, and a cousin close in age, Walter.  After graduating from Valdosta State Women’s College, Mary married Captain Amos Ryder Worth and began her career as a homemaker.  Mary and Amos had four children together: Thomas, Elizabeth, William, and Helen.  Amos’ Army career took them to many places (where she easily made friends), including Texas, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Germany, and finally back to Georgia.  She made dinner every weeknight, and everyone had a seat at her table.  She made sure good books were in her house, took her children to art museums, and always brought her family back to Ludowici for visits. 

Mary went back to school and became an art teacher and involved herself in refugee work in the Atlanta area.  An avid supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, she took her family on Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral march.  After moving back to her family home in Ludowici, Georgia, Mary joined Citizens for Safe Progress, to prevent the construction of a landfill.  This landfill had the potential to receive garbage from literally anywhere in the world.  Every time anyone in Long County drinks a glass of clean water, they can thank Mary & Amos and their friends from Citizens for Safe Progress.

Mary made sure her mother, Mary Owen, and beloved aunt Helen Coxon, could spend all of their last years in their own home in Ludowici, which was affectionately known to their grandchildren as “Georgia”.  They took care of her as children, and she did an exemplary job of caring for them.  Mary lived at Magnolia Manor in Richmond Hill, Georgia and attended St. Anne’s Catholic Church for fourteen years.  For the last year, she lived at At Home Senior Living in Jesup, Georgia.  She recently moved home to Ludowici.  She leaves behind many friends in all the places.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Amos Ryder Worth.

She is survived by her children and their spouses, Thomas Worth (Marsha), Elizabeth Lake (Bob), William Worth (Mary), and Helen Ordway (Mark); grandchildren, Katharine Worth, Deborah Telep (Rick), Rachel Chapman (Jereme), John Lake (Chenieve), Thomas Lake (Sara), David Lake (Samantha), Mary Elizabeth Cawthon (Aubrey), William Lake, Christiana Worth (Rusty), Caroline Worth (Kory), James Worth (Carolina), Olivia Larson (Job), Isabella Ordway (Greg), Isaac Ordway (Cat), David Orway, and Jane-Claire Ordway; great-grandchildren, Lars, Soren, Amos, Betsy, Rosie, Lily, Liam, Izze, Juniper, Carson, Jonathan, Diana, Ryder, Starr, Birdie Mae, River, Camila, Clara, Georgia, Charles, and Ingrid.

Graveside service will be Tuesday, February 3, at 2:00 pm at Walthourville Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Aubrey Cawthon, John Lake, Jereme Chapman, David Lake, Thomas Lake, and William Lake.

Family and friends may sign the online register at www.howardfuneralga.com.

Arrangements are under the direction of Howard Funeral Home of Ludowici.

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