Maurice W. Worth of Fayetteville, Ga. passed away on Thursday, February 11, 2016.
He retired as Chief Operating Officer of Delta Air Lines in 1999 after a 39 year career.
He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of fifty-five years, Rosa Lee Worth; his son, Michael Worth and his wife Cheri of Athens, Ga.; his mother, Mary Worth of Fayetteville and family dog Mollie.
He was preceded in death by his father Maurice Worth, Sr.
Maurice was born and raised in Glasgow, Va., where he was an outstanding athlete in high school and later attended Washington and Lee University.
Mr. Worth was a long-time Delta employee, having joined the airline in 1960 as a ramp service agent in Dallas, Texas. He later assumed positions of increasing responsibility in airport customer service in Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and Boston. In 1979, he was promoted to system manager airport operations based at Delta’s headquarters in Atlanta. He was named director – personnel administration in July 1986, assistant vice president – personnel administration in 1987, vice president – personnel in 1989, senior vice president – personnel in 1991 and executive vice president – customer service in September, 1995. He was promoted to chief operating officer on August 15, 1997. Prior to that appointment, he served briefly as acting chief executive officer.
At Delta, Maurice had a reputation as a respected leader who had a great rapport with the employees, primarily because he had worked his way up through the ranks and could relate to them. He frequently went to the various work areas and interacted with the employees listening to their concerns and seeking their ideas. He had a deep respect for the Delta people and often referred to working with them as a privilege and an honor.
After his retirement from Delta in 1999, he formed The Doral Company, a consulting firm specializing in aviation, international business and government affairs. The Doral Company served a wide range of clients, including the State of Oregon, Planning Technologies, Inc., Definition 6 Technologies and Beers/Skanska USA. He served as president and CEO until retiring in December, 2010.
Maurice was active in his community and Atlanta where he served on the board of directors of the Atlanta Red Cross Chapter and was an Elder in the Fayette Presbyterian Church. He previously served on the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, the Board of Directors of Definition 6, an Atlanta based information technology company, the Board of Directors of Comair Holdings, Inc., the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, the Board of Directors of The Atlanta College of Art, the Board of Visitors for Clark Atlanta University, the Advisory Board of W.T. Beebe Institute of Georgia State University and is a past member of the Atlanta Kiwanis Club. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Atlanta Healthcare Alliance, Joseph Sams School, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Christian City Home for Children.
Arrangements will be made at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross, the Fayette Presbyterian Church or the Fayette Fire Foundation in Maurice’s name.
Carl J Mowell & Son Funeral Home, Fayetteville –www.mowellfuneralhome.com
