Joe Alan Worthen

Payson City Recreation Director

In 1961, Joe graduated from Utah State with a degree in Physical Education (PE) and Mathematics. Joe taught math, coached all sports and drove the bus for Escalante High School. In 1963, he accepted a teaching position at Payson High School where he taught PE and Math for 21 years.

In 1980, he became the Community School/City Recreation Director for Payson City. After 37 years with Nebo School District, Joe retired. Joe served 25 years on the fire department and 45 years as a basketball official! In fact, in 2006, Joe was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in the category of "Officials Hall of Honor."

During his years as the Payson City Recreation Director, Worthen organized many youth and adult sports programs. He was very involved with planning and creating new fields and maintenance of all the parks. He brought Karl Malone and John Stockton to promote the Jr. Jazz program for youth basketball. During Worthen’s time as recreation director, Payson City Recreation received the “Best New Recreation Program” award in 1985 by the State of Utah.

It is difficult to measure the long-term impact that Joe had on the youth of Payson and our sports programs. It is safe to say that nearly every child who has passed through Payson or its programs have been impacted for the better by Joe's dedicated service to our community.

Inducted 2020