Harold Wayne “Sonny” “Naz” Nazworth, age 89 of Orange, Texas, passed away on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Services to celebrate and honor his life will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at Silveroaks Baptist Church in Orange, Texas with Pastor David C. Millner and Pastor Ed Ralls officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Autumn Oaks Memorial Park. Family and friends will gather for a visitation from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at Dorman Funeral Home.
Harold was born on Thursday, October 15, 1931 in Wyatt, Louisiana to parents Jewel Ava Robinson Nazworth and Norman L. Nazworth. He proudly served in the United States Air Force and had been a longtime resident of Orange, Texas.
Harold Nazworth, husband, father, friend, and pastor. If you could sum up Harold’s life in a few words, faithful, generous, and humorous would come to the forefront.
At age 29, Harold became a believer in Jesus Christ. From that point on, his life was markedly different. Very soon after becoming a believer, he was asked to pastor a mission church in the Pinegrove Community of Orange. Shortly thereafter he founded a small Baptist church, which led to a lifelong vocation of serving as a pastor. As a bi-vocational pastor, Harold also worked at Dupont in Orange, where in time he was trained as an electrician.
Harold was a faithful family man, providing for his wife and six kids. There was always food on the table, there were new clothes to start each school year and lots of presents at Christmas. Although he struggled to express his love to those closest to him, he never missed an opportunity to brag about each of his children to whoever would listen.
Harold loved to have his wife by his side at all times. While he may have seemed independent, he relied heavily on her in nearly every aspect of life and ministry. When she passed on, he missed her deeply. There was hardly a conversation where he failed to mention that fact.
Harold never met a stranger. Anyone he met, he could find out someone they knew whom he also knew. Within minutes of meeting someone, they would hear a joke or two, told with a straight face as though it were a true story. Nothing energized him more than having a captive audience.
As a pastor, Harold married and buried as many people in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana as any pastor has. He was well-known. Financially, Harold gave till it hurt, having a special place in his heart for missionaries and fellow Christians. Examples of his generosity include buying a newly ordained pastor his first suit so that he could serve in style, buying a set of tires for a traveling missionary, and always footing the bill anytime he went out to eat with anyone. While he had his weaknesses, he always loved his Lord and served him wholeheartedly up until the time God called him home, while seated on his couch with his Bible beside him opened to John chapter 7.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Jewel Nazworth, son Dale Nazworth, son-in-law Terry Bankester, sisters, Norma Raye Foreman and Thelma Mence, grandson Jared Bankester and great grandchildren Avery VanSumeren and Callen Nazworth.
Those left to cherish his memory are his children; Janeil Bankester of Vinton, LA, Gloria Nazworth of Lake Charles, LA, John Nazworth and his wife Phyliss of Orange, TX, Rhonda VanSumeren of Holt, MI, Bret Nazworth and his wife Wanda of Livingston, TX, and Kay Longon and her husband Harry of Albion, MI.; Grandchildren; Jennifer Girlinghouse, Beth McClain, Jason Nazworth, Nathan Nazworth, Becky Nazworth, Chris Nazworth, Josh Nazworth, Bobby VanSumeren, Casey VanSumeren, Emily Jo Pittman, Carissa Robinson, Keith Nazworth, David Nazworth, Margaret Ann Bellers, Jayme Nazworth, Lyndsay Brittin, Cody Longon and Landon Longon. Twenty-nine great grandchildren and one great great grandson.
Pallbearers will be Chris Nazworth, Josh Nazworth, Jason Nazworth, Nathan Nazworth, Jayme Nazworth, Jase Nazworth, Keith Nazworth, David Nazworth and Kendall McClain.
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