This is a story about a hero and a small town. This is a true story.

Here is a letter I wrote for one of the most amazing people I've had the pleasure too know.



In loving remembrance; Donnie Worthington






"Do you know how old I am?",

"YES Donnie, I know you are 50! You ask me that every time I see you!"

Today a hero passed away and right now I'm wishing that he would ask me that one more time.

Nine months ago I moved into Lakeside Village here in Wylie. Among the first people to welcome me was Donnie.

I'd seen Donnie around, everyone had. With his head down and his letter jacket on, Donnie would be walking all over town, but more often heading towards or returning from the High School where he volunteered.

I'd underestimated Donnie. I went by appearances and kind of blew him off a bit. I was probably a bit patronizing in fact.

As those of you familiar with Donnie know, Donnie was a very special man. He was a Special Olympian who loved to show you his medals. He had dozens of them and carried them all by their ribbons on a coathanger.

He made it his job to guard those of us who lived near him. It wasn't uncommon at all for me to come home and find Donnie at my door telling me that my apartment was secure and that he'd continue to keep an eye on it for me.

Then one day about 3 months ago I received news that my father was going into surgery for emergency triple bypass. I was downstairs praying with another friend when Donnie came out. He asked me the situation, gave me a hug, prayed for me, then went back into his house. A couple minutes later he returned and handed me a five dollar bill.

"Take this and use it for gas", he said. "I know its not much but its all I have. I'd give more if I had it".

I tried to argue with him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

...And that was Donnie. Willing always to help. And that is what he is famous for. Donnie did more with what God gave him then most people who you would consider to be normal.

Donnie was a Hero, plain and simple. One of my Heroes, and I'm going to miss him.

This entire town is going to miss him. Donnie is an icon here. Bigger than life. He's Radio to the Wylie Pirates. This little man gave all he had to anyone who needed it and for nothing!

There is a lesson in this. God gives us health. God gives us life. God gives us love.

USE IT.

Wylie, Texas was a small town when I moved there. A very small town just a few miles from Plano Texas and only 20 miles from Dallas itself. Southfork Ranch, the home of the Dallas television series is only 10 miles away in the town of Parker.

In 1977 Wylie fielded its first and last state championship football team. In Texas, where football is king, that was monumental. The players on that team are still, even in 2008, heroes of the town and can't buy a beer or a meal anywhere they go. Strangely enough they're all still in town too, working as Groundskeepers for the school district and other labor type positions. Its almost like they'd rather go through life at minimum wage than move away from the fame they earned as teenagers.

One of those team members was a special needs kid named Donnie Worthington. Donnie did not play, but he dressed for the team. Donnie was the water-boy, the towel-boy and honorary coach's assistant.

I moved to Wylie in 2001. At that time the population was 8000 and if you wanted fast food you had two choices, Wendy's or Taco Bell. We had one supermarket and you had to drive 15 minutes to find a traffic jam.

Within a few years the population had reached 30,000 and we had a Walmart, an Albertson's and 6 lanes heading into and out of town. Still the it maintained a small town feel. Farms were randomly placed in neighborhoods. One place even has a couple of camels and zebras living in the front yard!

Donna was a fixture in this town. He was the town mascot. 30 years after his team took top in state, Donnie was still here, given a position at the high school as an honorary coach.

He was a very busy little man, walking everywhere. At 6:30 am you would find him in his letter jacket, proudly displaying his championship patch, hiking head down towards the high school. He seldom walked the entire distance, there was always someone who would stop and pick him up.

I heard a story from a friend of mine. She was new in town and stopped at a light. Suddenly the rear passenger door opened and in stepped Donnie. Before she could ask what he was doing, he nodded at her and said, "Thank you ma'am". She realized that he was different, and drove him up the road to his home.

That was Donnie. He was so used to being loved and loving, that it never occurred to him someone might not know who he was.

I met Donnie when I moved into my apartments. Every single day Donnie would greet me with "Do you know how old I am?" and every day I'd answer, "yes Donnie, your 50." Step two was him showing me his special Olympic medals.

It wasn't until my father's surgery and Donnie's gift of $5 that I really put him where he needed to be in my regard.

Donnie was an amazing man. As amazing as any war hero. As amazing as any star athlete. As amazing as any celebrity you could ever want to meet.

There's a movie in Donnie's life and the way he touched my hometown. It's an Oscar winner, and I picture Paul Giamatti playing the starring role. A well written mixture of Rudy and Radio.

There have been times when I've hated living there, but right now I miss it, because Wylie has a heart. Donnie's heart. Drive through town today, 2 years after his death, and you will still see "In loving Memory of Donnie Worthington" signs in the store windows.

Donnie was a Christian at its base level. The BEST level. How incredible it must be to know God on his level of focus? Without the influences of life that most of the population suffer from?

How awesome to have a child's heart, mind and faith at 50 years of age?

Heaven is better off now, than it was 2 years ago because this incredible little hero lives there.

And one of these days, I get to see him again.

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