Forest Edney West, Jr., Lt. Col., U.S. Air Force, retired, and a resident of Oak Harbor for 19 years, died Sept. 9, 2007, at Island Hospital in Anacortes. He was born May 3, 1923, in Entiat, Wash., to Forest and Jessie West. He was raised in Peshastin, Wash., graduating from high school in 1940.
Forest joined the Army Air Corps soon after graduating, thus beginning a 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He went to OCS in Texas and took pilot training with the 50-EASY OCS Class. He was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He loved the T-6 G trainer and the P-58. He went to Whiteman AFB and was with the B-52, 340th Bomb Wing, and was also stationed at Albany, Ga., and Maine, as well as Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. His last duty station was Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska, where he was with the Defense Communications Agency. He retired in 1970.
He then started Top of the World Real Estate in Wasilla, Alaska, for eight years.
Forest is survived by his wife of 25 years, Marlene West of Oak Harbor and Mesa, Ariz.; sons, Sage West of Seattle and Robert West of Wasilla; daughters, Peggy (Terry) Christianson and Patty (Terry) Carr, both of Tacoma, and Elizabeth (Alan) Lewis of Ramah, N.M.; and stepdaughter, Michelle (John) Claseys of Seattle. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, two step granddaughters, four great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter, with another due in October.
Other survivors include his sisters, Bettie Johnson of Olympia and Mary Jane Jodry of Florence, Ariz. Preceding him in death were his brothers Charles and Jim West and sisters Helen Lutz and Gerry Trimble.
Forest and Marlene spent 26 years motorhoming all over the U.S. and had a park model at Tower Point Resort for nine years. He began playing shuffleboard and absolutely loved it and enjoyed many winning seasons with his team. Soon he was coordinator, then a teacher to the beginners over many, many years. After visiting Oak Harbor for three summers they purchased a condo in 1988, splitting their retirement years between Oak Harbor and Mesa. Since 1982 Forest and Marlene attended spring training Mariners games every March. They also enjoyed many wonderful cruises, including several through the Panama Canal. The most recent cruise in April 2007 was from San Diego for two weeks in the Sea of Cortez and the Mexican Riviera.
Returning home in the later years after selling their motor home, they began stopping for a few days in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. Other favorite spots were the Oregon coast and Coronado, Calif.
Forest was a member of the Elks Lodge 2362 in Oak Harbor; Whidbey Island Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America; and the American Legion.
The family would like to thank Dr. Franklin Bjorseth of Anacortes for his wonderful care, the staff at Island Family Physicians in Anacortes, and the nurses who so warmly and professionally cared for him at Island Hospital. Thanks also to Dr. Christopher Appleton and Dr. Donald Novicky at the Mayo Clinic of Scottsdale, Ariz., and his good friend Dr. Allen Larson of Minnesota.
Forest will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. His two special Oak Harbor friends are Vernon Fowler and Louis “Ski” Michalski. We will hold you in our hearts forever.
Services will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. A gathering and reception for friends and family will be held at Peggy and Merrill Christiansons’ home after the service. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Friends of Home Health Care and Hospice of Whidbey General Hospital, Coupeville, or the American Heart Association, or the charity of your choice.
