Ahlbrandt

1935-2020 • Formerly of La Grande

Tommy Gerald West, 85, formerly of La Grande, died Nov. 10 at his residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A memorial graveside service will be held in the spring of 2021 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Baker City.

Tommy was born June 13, 1935, in Sudan, Texas, to Roy and Thelma (Tate) West. He graduated from Sudan High School.

After high school, Tommy joined the U.S. Army and served for five years before separation at the rank of specialist. His time on active duty included 16 months in Korea. He spent the next 30 years working as a highway engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation, retiring in 1995.

In 1960, Tommy married Carol J. Williams in El Paso, Texas. They had two sons together, Brian and Tracey. Tommy lived in La Grande for 47 years, only recently moving to Albuquerque to live with his son Brian.

Tommy was a VFW lifetime member. He enjoyed bingo at the Union County Senior Center in La Grande and Wildhorse as well as playing slot machine games on his tablet. He also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and word jumbles from the newspaper.

Surviving relatives include his sons and daughters-in-law, Brian and Dawn West of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tracey and Nancy West of Redding, California; brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Gale West of Denver, Colorado; and five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol West.

To leave an online condolence for the family, go to www.colestributecenter.com.