Much-beloved UBC Forestry faculty member, mentor and friend to many, Dr. John Worrall (BSF’63) passed away on August 8, 2023. His legacy, however, lives on in the many people whose lives he touched.
“Worrall was one of the first teachers that UBC Forestry students encountered at the start of their academic journey,” says Worrall’s close friend and former student, John Davies (BSF’99).
Known mostly as Worrall among colleagues, students and friends, Worrall was born in 1938 in Healing, Lincolnshire, England to Mollie and Jack Worrall. He is survived by his brother, Richard.
Worrall’s time at UBC Forestry began in the 1960s when he completed a bachelor’s degree in Forestry before studying Chemistry at Newcastle University and receiving a master’s and PhD from Yale University. After returning to UBC in 1969 to take a Faculty position, Worrall was awarded two Killam Teaching Prizes for excellence in this role.
“On top of teaching the basics of dendrology in his typically unconventional way, Worrall imparted to students the principles he lived by, including the importance of caring for others, kindness and being true to yourself,” remembers John, who saw Worrall as a surrogate father.
The official burger-flipper at the annual Forestry Undergraduate Society (FUS) Coconut party, Worrall also frequently hosted on-campus Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for students who were unable to travel home for the holidays.
“Worrall would stuff a turkey and cover it in bacon, and make a big pot of mashed potatoes and gravy for students, all out of the generosity of his heart,” recalls UBC Forestry staff member Chiara Longhi.
Chiara and Worrall became close friends after meeting at a UBC Forestry event in the early 2000s. “We used to play Boggle and Scrabble,” Chiara says. “He had an extensive vocabulary and a great sense of humour.” Worrall also regularly joined Chiara and her family for holidays and gatherings, becoming “an extension of our family,” she says. “He was loved by his chosen family and will be deeply missed.”
Worrall’s uniqueness and strength of character were his badges of honour. In his quintessentially unconventional way, Worrall was known to take students out of the classroom for tree walks around UBC campus where he would identify different plant species by sight and share anecdotes to help extend students’ learning experience.
“He loved being outside,” recalls Ponch Ocampo, who provided home care for Worrall after Worrall was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“Every day with him, we would go to his garden where he would spend hours with his plants,” notes Ponch. “Whenever we went for a walk, he would teach me how to differentiate the leaves and bark of different trees, and then quiz me about them later. He didn’t forget anything about plants.”
Worrall’s students were frequent fixtures at his home — just a short distance from the UBC Forestry building. During his teaching days, he often offered free accommodations to students in exchange for some help with housework.
“He would take students down to see the sequoias in California or on hikes to Mt. Frosty in Manning Park, BC, and never asked for any money,” says Chiara. “He also remembered the names of many of the students who took his classes years after they had left UBC, and would surprise people with this ability.”
Worrall continued to teach years after retiring in 2003, returning to campus to play ping pong with students or to help out with FUS or Faculty events. Upon his request, Worrall’s ashes were scattered in one of his favourite spots: a golden larch forest at Mt. Frosty, in the company of many of those who loved him.
Donations to the John Worrall Tree Enthusiast Prize or the John Worrall Alumni Bursary Fund in support student learning can be made here: give.ubc.ca/impact-stories/john-worrall-awards
This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Branchlines Magazine. View the full issue here.