Former Saugus High School teacher and baseball coach Douglas Worley died on Jan. 13 at age 81. The community has been sharing their love on social media with memories, condolences and even pictures of their old notebooks from Worley’s popular “strategy” class.
Worley, a husband, father, grandfather, mentor and more, died of natural causes, according to stepson Rob Gibson.
“He was a remarkable person who affected thousands of students throughout the Santa Clarita Valley,” Gibson said in a phone call on Monday. “Anytime we went out to lunch or dinner with him here in the Santa Clarita Valley — I want to say almost 100% of the time — we ran into a former student or a former baseball player, and each and every single time, they would say, ‘Mr. Worley, I still have the notebook and all of your handouts from the class. I reflect on them. It was the most impactful class I had in my life.’”
Worley was born on March 27, 1943, in Seattle. He served in the United States Navy, during which time he taught anti-submarine warfare. Afterward, he earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and English from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in administration from the University of La Verne. He began his teaching career in 1969.
In 1975, Worley got work at the newly opening Saugus High School. Over his years there, he taught English, poetry and his “strategy” class. He was also the school’s first baseball coach and called football games at College of the Canyons Stadium and basketball games, too.
It was his “strategy” class that so many former students have been posting about. In that class, Worley taught self-image, goal setting and life principles.
“We all had great teachers — someone who impacted us, someone who left their mark on us, whether it was a coach or a teacher or a counselor,” Gibson said. “But his class wasn’t math, it wasn’t history, it wasn’t English. This class was called ‘strategy,’ and it was all about you going forward in life and who you are and the strategy that it would take for you to go forward in life, in many, many different areas. He taught one student how to balance a checkbook.”
Gibson’s wife, Lonna Gibson, said she knows several people who, upon hearing about Worley’s death, dug out their old notebooks from that “strategy” class. One individual had her notebook from 1993.
“She brought me her whole folder of all of her spiral notes,” Gibson’s wife said, “She had everything — all of his handouts.”
Worley retired from Saugus High in 2007. He continued to teach part-time in Santa Clarita at West Ranch High School and Legacy Christian Academy. According to many people in the community, he remained a mentor and inspiration over the years.
Worley is survived by his wife, Karen, of 39 years, and five children, Jennifer, Brian, Robert, Stephanie and Shawn, along with their spouses; his sister, Linda, and brother-in-law, Pat; 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Worley’s memorial service, according to Gibson and his wife, had originally been planned for Bouquet Canyon Church in Santa Clarita, but the family changed venues to accommodate a larger crowd. It’s currently scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, at Crossroads Community Church at 25300 Rye Canyon Road in Valencia. It will be open to the community.
