Rufus Hampton West,
age 87, of Boise, Idaho, formerly of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed
away on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 in Boise, Idaho.
Rufus was born at home on May 19, 1924 in Primitive Ridge, Bibb
County, Ala., to Festus E. West and Edna M. Price, the second of six
children. After graduation from Thompson High School, in Saginaw,
Ala., in May of 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in June of 1943
as a Radioman. Rufus served on the smallest ship in the Navy's
fleet, the LSM 138, in the South Pacific during WWII. After being
honorably discharged following WWII he attended the University of
Alabama graduating in 1949. In April of 1951, he entered the U.S.
Air Force as an officer and served in Korea during the Korean War
with the 55th Squadron.
Rufus married Doris Jean Owen in 1953, and was married for 54 years.
He retired from the Air Force in 1970 and moved from Arizona to Fort
Walton Beach, Fla., where he raised his two sons and enjoyed playing
golf.
In 2005, Rufus moved to Boise, Idaho to be near his son, Scott, and
his twin grandchildren. He spent his last years independently,
driving, socializing and working almost daily with his son to build
a family water bottling plant in Boise.
Rufus was preceded in death by his wife, Doris; son, Mark Owen West;
parents; and his siblings, Seth E. West, Sarah E. Hyche and Mary E.
Turner. He is survived by his son, Scott West and wife Angie; twin
grandchildren, Olivia Jean and Owen Rufus West all of Boise, Idaho;
sister, Neva Vickers of Bessemer, Ala.; and brother, J. R. "Bo" West
of Las Vegas, Nev.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at
McLaughlin Funeral Home, 17 Chestnut Avenue SE, Fort Walton Beach,
FL 32548 (850-244-5163), with a time of gathering with the family
starting at 1 p.m. Burial with military honors will follow the
funeral at Beal Memorial Cemetery, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Rufus, it was an honor to know you. You were a man of men and
part of a dying breed who served our country with honor so that we
all may be free. You were a self-made man, loyal and loving to your
family and friends. You will be missed but fondly remembered by all
who knew you. You lived out your faith quietly and are now reunited
with the family you held dear.
Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at
www.mclaughlinmortuary.com.
Published in Northwest Florida Daily News on July 3,
|
|
