Worthington, Ada E., 1899-1989

Ada E. and John C. Worthington were married on August 19, 1926, and lived for a short time in Trinidad before settling in Truro, Massachusetts in 1933. They had three children: John C., Jr., 1927, Christopher H. "Toppy," 1928, and Diana, 1939.

Ada Elizabeth (Warden) Worthington, daughter of William and Marie Christine (Halsey) Warden, was born September 2, 1899, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Educated in England, she served in the Women's British Auxiliary Ambulance Corps during World War I before coming to the United States in 1918. She worked at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, eventually becoming a registered nurse. In 1933, AEW founded Cape Cod Fish Net Industries, a firm that by 1938 employed more than 40 people. She owned and operated women’s boutiques in Hyannis and Truro, Massachusetts; New York City; Sausalito, California; and Miami, Florida. In New York her fashions were sold in 21 stores; she and her fishnet products, which included dresses, scarves, dolls, curtains, etc., were featured in several fashion magazines. She retired in 1980 and died on April 17, 1989.

John Cheney Worthington, son of Robert Briggs and Velnette (Cheney) Worthington, was born February 2, 1899, in Dedham, Massachusetts. He attended Kent School and enlisted in the Marines during World War I. While working in the oil fields of the American Southwest and Mexico, he learned to fly airplanes and competed in many air races. He assisted in the designing of several airports and worked as a sales representative for the Merrimac Chemical Co. In 1933, JCW started the Pond Village Cold Storage Co., a fish processing plant, which he ran until his retirement in 1963. He served in the Ferrying Division of the Army Air Transport Command during World War II. Beginning in the 1950s, JCW became active in Truro town affairs and served three terms as selectman. He was an advocate of preserving Cape Cod's beaches, testifying before several government bodies. He was also active on behalf of marine fisheries and served on the governor's fishery advisory board through the 1960s. JCW died on December 23, 1992.

From the guide to the Papers of Ada E. and John C. Worthington, 1897-1988, (Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)