Bill West

Bill West 4/6/1931-12/16/2018

On Sunday, December 16, 2018, Bill West of Hiram, Georgia, husband of Carol West and loving father, passed away at the age of 87.

Bill was born on April 6, 1931, in Cisco, Georgia, to Robert and Lula Maude West. Raised in rural Georgia, the highest potential for schooling was a third grade education. Bill began his youth as a sharecropper, but he still seemed to manage to have lofty goals to fulfill. He knew he wanted to own his own business, have a wife and family, design and build their home, get his pilot license and a plane, as well as go to Hawaii. His determination allowed him to accomplish all five goals by age 46. Later, spirit inspired one more significant goal that he said “lit a fire, that he could not put out”. It was a divine appointment, to witness to as many people as possible. He became passionate about this endeavor, because he did not want anyone to be left behind. So much so, that in 2012 he authored a book, “Old Man Died, but Now He Lives”, to help him spread the word. Those who knew or ever met Bill, knew him for his Waffle House ministry. He loved to draw a cross and vine with scripture John 15:1-8 and leave it for folks to spread God’s message.

Proceeded in death by his mother and father, Robert and Lula West, and his five brothers, James, Charlie, Bud, Albert and Richard West, and five sisters, Roxie, Sally Martha, Annie, Cindy and Leaty.

Survived by his wife, Carol West of Hiram, GA, six children, Jannette (Randy) Thompson of Dallas, GA; Joyce (Rick) Ellis of Austell, GA, Doug (Lisa) West of Powder Springs, GA, Kathy (Don) Vogel of Smyrna, GA, Randy (Cindy) West of Powder Springs, GA, and Julie West of Mountain Park, GA; three step-children, Gene Hale of Dallas, GA, Keren (Jason) Croy of Douglasville, GA, and Jennifer Hale of Hiram, GA; eight grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, at 12 PM, from Clark Funeral Home with Reverend Rodney Hunt officiating. Interment will follow in Sweetwater memorial Park with the following gentleman serving as pallbearers; Randy Thompson, Don Vogel, Rick Ellis, Zach West, Rodney Rhodes and Larry Bethune.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, from 10 AM until the time of service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to M.S foundation in honor of his Angel caregiver, Lisa West, https://msfocus.org/donate.aspx or Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at https://pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ways-to-give/donate-now.

Allow his legacy to live by purchasing one or more of his books to give away and pay his message forward. “The Old Man Died, but Now He Lives.”

Please feel free to leave online condolences to the family at www.samclarkfuneralhome.com