George E. “Westy” West Jr.
SHOREHAM — George E. “Westy” West Jr., 83, died on April 5, 2008. He was born on July 29, 1924, in Milton, Mass., the son of George E. and Constance (Youngquist) West.
He attended Quincy schools, advancing to Tufts College, where he was enrolled in the ROTC program. He served in the Korean War as an ensign in the U.S. Navy, retiring as lieutenant commander. While at Tufts he met and married Shirley “Cookie” Heitman, a student of Jackson College and native of Shoreham.
They initially lived in Schenectady N.Y., then settled in Abington, Mass., to raise their children. He worked as a mechanical engineer at Stone and Webster in Boston, then at MIT. His became director of physical plant of Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and at Northfield Mount Herman School in Northfield, Mass.
They retired in 1991 to Shoreham, and spent their winters in Venice, Fla. According to family, his perfect day would include sailing on Quincy Bay or Lake Champlain, tending to his vegetable garden, solving a challenging problem and reciting United States history anecdotes to his captive family audience.
During his retirement, he was an active Masonic Lodge member, on the solid waste management committee, was a lister for the local assessor’s office and was a member of the Shoreham Congregational Church.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years; two daughters, Kathryn and her husband, John Ciovacco, of Schenectady, N.Y., Janis and her husband, Paul Donlan, of Abington, Mass.; a son, Steven and his wife Irene; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; three sisters, Joycelynn Nelson of Nokomis, Fla, Helene Meehl of Abington, Mass., and Carol Marcello and her husband, Dr. David Marcello, of Marion, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews.
