FARMINGTON — Paul Lebbeus Worthley, 92, of Strong, died Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Edgewood Nursing Home in Farmington after a short illness.

He enjoyed a full independent life maintaining his home, garden, journals, correspondence and woodpile until this past week.

He was born in Strong on Aug. 31, 1917 , the third child of Ralph L. Worthley and Ida Allen Worthley. His older siblings were Carl Worthley and Beulah Worthley Hoepner. He graduated from Strong High School and worked for Central Maine Power Co., joining the Army in March of 1941. He attended Tank Destroyer Officer Candidate School, Camp Hood, Texas, and served in France and Germany during World War II. Following the war, he served three years stationed on the Panama Canal. Returning to the U.S.A. in 1951, he was assigned to the Army Security Agancy (ASA), an intelligence gathering organization.

He served a tour on the G Staff at ASA Headquarters , in Arlington, Va., and during the summer of 1954 drove up the ALCAN Highway to Alaska, serving a year with the Eskimos at Gambell, Saint Lawrence Island in the Bering Straight. Later he served 15 months as a civilian for the Department of State based at Nicosia Cyprus. His final overseas assignment was as a Senior Army Commander on the Island of Taiwan. He was retired from the Army in December of 1962, as a Lt. Col. USAR.

In 1961, Paul bought a new airstream travel trailer and joined the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI). He progressed up through the unit and region offices and served as a trustee of the club. He helped organize and served as chairman of the Caravan Committee. He was a member of the International Relations Committee which arranges For WBCCI caravans going overseas and assists foreign caravans while traveling in the U.S.A. and Canada. He is a past president andoffice holder of the WBCCI. Paul hosted and led WBCCI airstream caravans locally, nationally and overseas.

Paul loved to travel, looking forward to his annual Canadian fishing trip, freighter cruises, cruises with family and friends, sugaring-off parties and took pictures of it all as he enjoyed a lifetime of photography. His journals and notebooks provided the gist for his annual report — a letter of his activities mailed to his friends all over the world.

He was also a supportive member of the Johnson Cox American Legion Post in Strong.

Paul is survived by his niece, Carla Hoepner Richards of Strong; his great-grandnephew, Rand Richards and his wife, Cindy, of Strong and their children, Eric and Amanda Richard; and his grand-niece, Ida Anderson Norris and her husband, Mark Norris, of Farmington and their children, Thomas Anderson, Heman Norris and Gail Norris.

Words of condolence and tribute may be shared with his family at www.wilesrc.com.