John E. West

John Eldridge West, 73, of Brenham, died July 11, 2008 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was born April 3, 1935 in Pettus, TX, son of the late Jake Samuel West and Alberta Selena (Hutchison) West. He graduated from Texas A&M University in the class of 1957, received his Master of Education in 1971 and played the trombone in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. He typed football and basketball play-by-plays in the Kyle Field press box and G. Rollie White Coliseum for 41 years. West wrote and edited sports at The Eagle newspaper in Bryan from 1960 to 1965. He was also a 1st Lt. in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1958 to1966. West was employed at Texas A&M University for 30 years as special events editor in the University News Service and was the Photographic and Visual Aids Laboratory manager. On May 12, 1994, he married Susan Hawkins at Ft. Davis, TX. An amateur astronomer, West retired to Gay Hill, TX and enjoyed viewing the night skies with a variety of telescopes. His was a 62-year-long avocation, from age 11 in the oil patch of Northwest Goliad, TX.

He is survived by: his wife, Susan West; sister, Frances Dunn of Kenedy, TX; two daughters, Alicia Reilly and husband Tom of Vienna, VA and Amy Sisco of Bryan, TX; two stepdaughters, Erin Hawkins of College Station, TX and Kelly Hawkins of Cherry Point, NC; two grandchildren, Paden and Hayley Sisco of Bryan, TX.

Visitation will be Wednesday, July 16, 2008 from 6-8 p.m. in Brenham Memorial Chapel.

Funeral service will be Thursday, July 17 at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Gay Hill with Rev. Alan Kethan officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Mike McIntyre, Daniel Gaskamp, Elwood Kelm, Darrell Reimer, Gene Thielemann and Russel Boney.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, The Aggie Band Association or True Blue Animal Rescue of Brenham.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham. 979-836-3611 www.brenham-memorial-chapel