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 William "Bill" West Obituary
William L. “Bill” West, age 81, of Granger, passed away July 16, 2024, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka. Bill was born July 10, 1943, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the late Edwin F. and Olive F. (Jones) West. He was a graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School and later earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at Purdue University. On September 4, 1965, he married Judy Reinking in Fort Wayne.
Bill is survived by his best friend and wife of over 58 years, Judy West of Granger, and their sons Gary West and Robert “Bob” West, along with five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Surviving as well are his siblings Tom (Joan) West and Ralph (Glenda) West and his sister-in-law, Linda Schneider.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Wells and Cruz Family Funeral Home in Mishawaka, with a celebration of Bill’s life to follow at noon.
Bill was employed as an Industrial Engineer by International Harvester in Fort Wayne, and later at AM General in Mishawaka until his retirement at the age of 62. In his spare time he enjoyed fishing, spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and cheering on the Purdue Boilermakers sports teams. He also loved music and attended the Purdue Music Organization's concerts every Christmas season with his family and friends.
Most of all, Bill loved the Lord and served faithfully, attending Granger Community Church for many years. He will be remembered for his kind, fun-loving, generous, and caring nature towards others.
In his memory, donations may be given to the Purdue Music Organization. Donations may be mailed in memory of Bill West to the Purdue Foundation, Dauch Alumni Center, 403 West Wood St., West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, attention Donor Services, or directly to the organization at http://www.purdue.edu/pmo/giving/index.php. To light a virtual candle, share a story of Bill’s life, or leave a message of comfort for his family, please follow the links provided on the tribute wall tab above. [from the Wells and Cruz web site 2024-07-22]
Remarks for Bill West
Service of Celebration
July 27, 2024 by Donald Luepke
Wild Willie
“This too, is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
My name is Don Luepke and I am a former classmate of Bill at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne – both a part of the wondrous Class of 1961 and here to share just a few thoughts with you.
Wild Willie was the nickname that many of his friends affectionately called Bill. He was not really that wild. Bill was given a substantially long life having just celebrated his 3^4 (three to the fourth power -3 times 3 times 3 times 3) or 81st birthday. But he was not as old as some other famous “Willies” : Willie Nelson born in 1933; Willie Mays, 1931, and who can forget (although many of us probably have) Steamboat Willie – the first inauguration of Mickey Mouse in 1929.
Bill was more in tune with Willie Wonka – a gentle, even-tempered, fun loving and laughing guy who probably loved chocolate as much as his namesake. He always had a smile on his face and connected with and was a friend to most everyone that he met. In grade school in sang in St. Paul's choir along with Don Ayres, Eddie Forrest, and Ron Heilman (a classmate of Bill's from Kindergarten through college at Purdue). They were always cutting up, breaking out in laughter and the nemesis of Choir Director, Chuck Henke.
In high school he showed his athletic prowess as a great running-back for the Concordia Cadets football team. And then his school colors changed from Maroon and White to Black and Gold and he continued to be an avid and loyal Boiler fan the rest of his life. He and Judy were often on campus for football and basketball games but also their love for music – annually attending the magnificent Purdue Music Organization Christmas Concert and similar events.
Bill was a true family man and loved spending time with his dear wife, Judy, sons Gary and Bob and all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a gracious and considerate man of God, with a smile on his face and a hand and arm extended to meet everyone the Lord set before him.
Bill often vacationed with friends both in Florida and northern Michigan where he loved to fish. Being out on the water and hooking into “Mr. Big” or even those delicious pan fish was precious to him. He delighted in coming back with a big catch – and of course stories that were sometimes even bigger.
Speaking of fishing, many of Christ's disciples were of the same bent. Actually in the Gospel lesson appointed this weekend St. Mark shares an incident when they were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm came up.
Mark 6:45-52 - Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. And after He had taken leave of them, He went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded.
In the daily “The Lutheran Hour” devotion this past Wednesday Dr. Kari Vo shared some thoughts on this. She writes,
So what about this miracle—this walking-on-water thing? What does that mean?
This time Jesus is making it clear that there is nowhere His people can go that He won't find them. If we are in trouble, absolutely He will come to us—and it doesn't matter if He has to walk on water to get to us. He knows our needs and our worries and our fears, and He comes to us every time—because He loves us.
What should we expect? After all, He came to us when we were in such deep trouble before—broken people under the power of death and evil. Of course He became our Savior! That's the kind of God He is—one who even lays down His life to save His people, and then rise again. Why? So that we who trust Him will also live with Him forever. That's Jesus for you.
There is one more “Willie” I would like to mention. This time it is an orca whale. You remember the movie “Free Willy” and all that went along with it. It is the story of a young pre-teen boy whose name was Jesse who was probably headed for a life of delinquency. He lived in a dilapidated part of town close to a somewhat run down water park that included a whale. Somehow Jesse was able to connect with the orca, named Willy, partly through the sounds of Jesse's harmonica. Eventually the park hired Jesse to train Willy and such. But not too long after, the park was going under and the animals there were to be sold off to other venues or even allowed to die to collect insurance money. That was the beginning of Jesse's efforts to “Free Willy.” And eventually he was successful and Willy was free to return to life in the ocean where he belonged.
No, it was not Jesse who freed our Willie. It was Jesus. He freed Bill (and each and every one of us) from the pain of difficult breathing, from the burden and curse of our sin, and brought him eternal life into the loving arms of our Father. What joy! What pure and profound joy!
And so we, along with Bill, can proclaim the words of Job:
“Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.” (Job 19:23-27 NLT)
Bill rests in the arms of our awesome God. And all God's people said - “Amen.”
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