Matt Wixon

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Donnie Worthington's home is a museum of Wylie athletics. The walls are covered with pictures of players and teams, and his bedroom is filled with hats, baseballs and other Wylie memorabilia.

It's everything he collected over the last quarter century.

"That was his life, his Wylie Pirates," said his sister, Kathy LaMere.

On Saturday, that life was celebrated by an estimated 1,500 people. They crowded into the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Wylie for the funeral of Worthington, a 51-year-old who was possibly the biggest Wylie fan ever. He died Sept. 3 after suffering a stroke.

B & E Photography

Donnie Worthington, 51, a longtime supporter of Wylie athletics, died Sept. 3.

"He was truly an icon," said Wylie football coach Bill Howard. "There couldn't be a guy who did more for young people than he did."

Worthington was mentally challenged, but LaMere – one of Worthington's seven siblings – said you wouldn't know it unless you asked him to read or write something.

Everybody in Wylie knew him, she said. And everybody loved him.

"He would walk everywhere," said Stephen Pearce, a three-sport star at Wylie who graduated in 2003, "and if anybody saw him walking, they would pick him up and give him a ride."

Worthington was involved in the Future Farmers of America and loved to compete in sports through Special Olympics. He was also in the First Baptist choir and acted in plays at the church.

"His heart was for Wylie," LaMere said, "and everything in it."

Especially his beloved Wylie Pirates. Worthington, who lived most of the last 28 years in Wylie, showed up at the school each weekday afternoon to help out in any way he could. He hung out with the players, warmed up with them, and even had a Wylie school jacket like theirs.

"It could be 100 degrees out, and he would be wearing that jacket," Pearce said. "He was very proud of that jacket."

And students were proud to be part of his life. That's obvious in the video tributes to Worthington that have been posted on the Internet. He's shown posing for photos with students, celebrating wins with them and joining the school's spirit chant of "AHMO!"

In one photo, he's even getting tossed into the air like a hero. And in Wylie, he was a hero.

"He had an unconditional love for the kids," said Wylie ISD athletic director Mark Ball, the football coach from 1997 to 2005. "They could play poorly, they could make a mistake and cost us a game. It didn't matter."

All that mattered to Worthington was that they played for Wylie. He even missed family gatherings if they conflicted with a Wylie sporting event.

A few months ago, LaMere kidded him about his devotion to the Pirates. She asked him, jokingly, "You're 51 now, when are you going to stop all this?"

His answer was serious:

"Well, Kathy, when they put me under."

Worthington was laid to rest, but his Wylie spirit will live on. He'll be remembered every time Wylie takes the field and somebody yells Worthington's favorite saying:

"It's AHMO weather!"

mwixon@dallasnews.com

DONNIE WORTHINGTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

A scholarship in Worthington's name has been created to benefit Wylie students. Contributions can be made through the Inwood National Bank of Wylie. For more information, call 214-351-7951.

YEARBOOK MOMENT: During this week in 1994, Flower Mound Marcus quarterback Chris Sanders passed for a school-record 401 yards in a 38-35 victory over McKinney. Sanders led area Class 5A quarterbacks in passing that season, and later set Tennessee-Chattanooga records for career passing yards, touchdowns and completions.