Philip A. Worthington

Philip A. “Phil” Worthington, 55, of Noblesville, passed away Sunday, April 13, 2025.

Born on May 13, 1969 in Brazil, IN, to Dennis and Ruth Worthington, the first of three children, Phil (or Philip—he was Phil to some, Philip to others) bounced around in west-south Indiana for few years, before the family settled in Westfield, Indiana, in 1981, where he spent the bulk of the rest of his life, with stops in Franklin and Indy; he graduated from Brebeuf High School in 1987, and Franklin College in 1991, married Michelle in 1993, raised three kids: Ethan, Ariel, and Sam, worked as a proofreader and editor, before taking his current job—these are the broad facts of his life, but even elaborating on them would do little to give a picture of the bright soul that wandered the world for too short a span.

If there are any more genuine, more honest souls upon this earth, they are few; there was no affectation about him, no attempt to be anything but himself, no need to impress or be better than others—he sought only the True—to hear your truth and to express his own. Which was apparent in the unique loving relationships he had with his wife of 32 years Michelle, the two of them like two gems or, jelly beans, in a basket, with a card leaning against the rim, bearing the inscription, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying Goodbye so hard;” with his son Ethan and brother Paul, co-creators of worlds with him, both of whom counted him as their best friend; with his daughter, Ariel, and younger son, Sam, both of whom laughed freely at his eccentricities, and basked in the presence of a father who treated them as fellow travelers on the road of life rather than as people to mold and direct; with his own father, who he visited and played games with every week until the end; and with his mother, who he joins in the cosmic river, and his sister A.J., who he could set at ease with a word, or especially his laugh.

Because he had a laugh that would brighten your day, lighten your spirit, that came so easily, and which was so genuine, dripping not as much with an appreciation for the word or situation that occasioned the laugh as for the person who either said something to cause it, or was just there to enjoy the moment with him. It was a laugh so imbued with an embrace of you, his fellow being, that you wanted to hear it, wanted to say something that would cause him to laugh. Thus, one could say, to know him was to chase the wondrous, the genuine, the humorous, the playful, the True of life. His primary personal battles had to do with overcoming the psychological barriers to fully enjoying existence, which life, ironically, hands you, and his primary encouragement for others was to free yourself from the controlling bonds of society, politics, religion, etc. …The world, he said, with all its cruelty, was still a playground, a place to play, to enjoy each other: he had a curious, wandering spirit. He spent most of life, even while working, wandering the pathways of his imagination, and others’ imaginations—reading, listening to music, discussing the mysteries of the universe or even the humdrum, playing games, running. No matter what he was doing, he was in search of the magical, the beautiful, the surprise; and whether with another, or alone, when he found something good, he wanted to share it with all his people (those listed above) and even others. Even watching a movie or tv show, or a horse race, he was ever waiting for something magical to happen, for some little hidden facet of existence to be uncovered, and to be able to share this discovery with you…

So strong is his presence within the hearts of the people he loved, so part of everything they do and even think, that his spirit flows through the world, touching many who never knew him—while his laugh, riding his infinite spirit, resounds through the cosmos.

Please join Michelle, Ethan, Ariel, Sam (Ashlanna), Paul (Kathy), AJ, and Dennis for his Celebration of Life on Friday, April 25 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Flanner Buchanan-Hamilton Memorial Park, Prairie Waters.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wikipedia. Let’s celebrate his curious spirit and love of knowledge by supporting the foundation whose goal is to present information to all in a straightforward, "just-the-facts” style.