Paul Edward Whitworth

Paul Edward Whitworth, 80, died peacefully on Sunday, April 29, after a brief battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family.

Paul, or Edward as he was known in his youth, was born in Harlingen, Texas in 1938 to Forest Raymond and Yuba Luther Whitworth. He grew up in Harlingen with his parents and four brothers. They were dedicated Catholics and charter members of St. Anthony's Church. Paul and his wife, Edelmira, raised their four children in Raymondville and Brownsville, where they instilled the values of a Catholic education, hard work and devotion to family.

As a young man he joined the National Guard then spent five years as an assistant store manager with the S.H. Kress Company. He began his newspaper career in 1961 at the Temple Texas Telegram. He also worked for the Houston Post, the Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and the Casa Grande Valley Newspapers in Arizona. Paul and Edelmira purchased the Raymondville Chronicle & Willacy County News on October 1, 1976 and worked side by side to publish the weekly paper. He was in his 42nd year as publisher of the Chronicle/News and his 57th year in the newspaper business at the time of his death.

In 2011, he was presented the Golden 50 award by the Texas Press Association celebrating his 50 years in publishing. Later the same year he was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo.

Paul effectively balanced a career as a small business owner with regular road trips to Austin to attend Texas Longhorn football games with his children. He was an avid reader and fan of Texas history. Because of his time in Arizona, he was also passionate about Native American history, culture and art.
He served in many civic organizations over the years including the Raymondville Lions Club. He was instrumental in Willacy County politics and worked tirelessly exposing corruption and serving the local citizens. Paul loved to laugh and adored his children and grandchildren. He was a strong father figure and role model to them and to many more in the community.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Edelmira "Edie" Flores Whitworth; his parents, Yuba and Raymond; and two brothers John Richard and Gerald Patrick.

He is survived by his brothers, Charles (Mary Ann) Whitworth of Houston, Robert (Linda) Whitworth of Sterling, Virginia; his fiancée Diana Walker of Harlingen; four children: Mark (Jana) Whitworth of McAllen, Danny (Constance) Whitworth of San Antonio, Ted (Angela) Whitworth of Grand Prairie, and Diana (Joel) Nelson of Dallas, nine grandchildren: Marissa Whitworth, Louis Whitworth, Emily Whitworth, Katie Whitworth, Vivianna Whitworth, Evelyn Whitworth, Edelmira Nelson, Hugh Nelson and Beatriz Nelson; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Visitation will be at 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. with a rosary service scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Darling-Mouser Funeral Home in Brownsville.
The Funeral Mass is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Brownsville. Committal services will follow the Mass at Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Lou Castro, Joel Nelson, David Perez, Bobby Stevenson, Louis Whitworth and Richard Whitworth are honored to be serving as Paul's pallbearers. Martin Garcia, Walter Russell, Emilio Sanchez, Dan Wetegrove, Charles Whitworth and Robert Whitworth will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Visitation

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Friday, May 4, 2018
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 pm

Service

Recitation of the Holy Rosary

DarlingMouser Funeral Home
945 Palm Blvd.
Brownsville, TX  78520
Friday, May 4, 2018
7:00 p.m.

Funeral Mass

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
602 E. Elizabeth
Brownsville, TX  78520
Saturday, May 5, 2018
9:00 a.m.

Cemetery

Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens
4464 Old Port Isabel Road
Brownsville, TX  78526