Worda James Bober's Obituary
Dr. Worda James-Bober, 72, of Cornelius, passed away Monday, February 6, 2023. She was born on March 24, 1950, in Mecklenburg County. She is preceded in death by her mother Margaret James and father Jim James.
Worda was a lifelong academic, always wanting to expand her knowledge. She achieved a Master of Human Development and Learning from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a Doctorate of Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Sarasota.
Her career began in teaching and progressed to Administration with a focus on At Risk youth as a Principal, Adjunct Professor for Western Governors University and Argosy University, and retiring from the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System as North Learning Community Administrator. At Risk students were her passion and she changed many lives during her career. In a news article written about her, she said the following: “One hundred years from now, it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in or the kind of car you drove. But the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child. Everybody loves the cheerleaders, the football players and the shining stars but I’m also drawn to the kids, who for some reason are just not fitting in, who feel unconnected, who act out because they’re not dealing with their problems, or who shut down and silently fall through the cracks.”
After retirement, she stayed active and enjoyed volunteer work with many local organizations. She went out of her way to care for anyone and everyone she met in need. She enjoyed traveling, keeping her girls on their toes, always researching what we need to do next for success, and most of all spending time with her family.
Worda was a member of Huntersville First Baptist Church.
Worda is survived by her brother Jimmy James (“her baby brother” she adored), husband of 25 years, Kenneth Bober and their dog Laddie Lee; her daughter, Leigh Polzella (“Tink”) (husband David), step son, Jason Bober (“such a good boy”)(Allison), step daughter, Jaime Bober, step son, Kenneth Bober Jr., and her incredibly special grandbabies, Alexa Polzella (“Eyes and Heart”), Claire Bober (“Claire Bear”) and Emily Polzella (“Emmy”). She is also survived by her step mother Judy James, and siblings: Billy James, Tracy James, Janet James, Sylvia James Hitchcock and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Her Huntersville VFW Family Reunions were her pride and joy. She also proudly let everyone she met know she was Luke Combs’ cousin (distant as it was) and had planned to go to her first show with her family this summer.
She worked tirelessly to bring people together whether they liked it or not. The life long women in her life cannot be understated. She loved them without reservation.
A service will be held on Friday, March 24th, 2023 at 3:00 PM at James Funeral Home of Huntersville.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Foundation www.cms-foundation.org, Caterpillar Ministries www.caterpillarministries.org , or Angels and Sparrows www.angelsandsparrows.org
Online condolences may be made at www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com.
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