Curtis D West
(October 28, 1931 - March 23, 2015)

Curtis Duane West, Sr., age 83, passed away on March 23rd, 2015 surrounded by his family. He was born in Stilwell, Oklahoma on the family farm on October 28, 1931 to Gus and Buena West. He was one of five children: oldest brother, Wilford and wife Geneva, both deceased; oldest sister, Datha Mullins, deceased; older brother, Bob and wife, Jewell; and younger sister, Amie Patterson and husband, Darrell. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Wanda, and their children: son, Duane West and his wife Kristi of Plantation, Florida; daughter, Debbie Shelton and her husband, Ben of Coppell, Texas; and daughter, Janet West of El Paso, Texas. Curtis' grandchildren are: Sarah West, Ben West, Bryan Johnson, Brianne Johnson, Bennett Shelton, and Casey McCowen and her husband Mason. Great-granddaughters are Hadley Shelton and Mackenzie Underwood.

Curtis attended twelve years of schooling in Stilwell. After that he attended two years of college at Conners College in Warner, Oklahoma, moving to Pandhandle State in Goodwell, Oklahoma to play football and complete his college degree. It is there that he met and married Wanda. He obtained his Master's degree at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Curtis served in the military in Washington, D.C, as an Honor Guard for President Eisenhower. He went on to teach school and coach football in Goodwell and Guymon, Oklahoma for a total of ten years. In 1965 he and his family moved to Alamogordo where he taught for another 25 years.