Yesterday I received the terrible news that my uncle Claude West has passed on.
My uncle was an incredible human being. His life impacted three generations of Wests in ways that none of us could ever fully measure. He was a hardworking and generous man who loved his family, and he was the most authentic person I ever met.
The earliest memories of my entire life are those of my uncle Claude. Going back to age 3 or 4 I can clearly recall this tall, strong guy with big hands and deep voice saying “howdy” and waving while he walked up the tiny sidewalk of our house on Lilac Lane in Irving. He was like this towering super hero who would scoop me up and make me laugh and I was always happy around him. I remember him so vividly, and I always looked forward to when he and my Aunt Mildred would visit or whenever I went to their house.
My father Edgar West, his brother, passed on in 1975 not long after I showed up…and my uncle Claude became a father figure for me. My uncle knew so many things, and he was such an incredibly warm and outgoing person that he was never wanting for friends. He was clear spoken and direct as well, so you always knew where you stood with him. He was as pure a Texan as you could find and, while you might say he had a larger than life presence, he was also completely real and grounded. He also had this sense of humor that was totally infectious and you always felt lighter around him. We shared many laughs over the years.
In the 1980s, my mother unfortunately hit a rough patch and moved around a lot. Consequently I fell out of touch with family for several years, but we were reunited by some great friends from Waco who were like second parents to me in 1991. I was a frustrated teenager and feeling disconnected from family at the time. I will never forget the phone call they set up with my uncle, picking up that phone and hearing this familiar East Texas voice after all those years saying, “Julian West, do you remember me? It’s your Uncle Claude West”. I do not mind admitting some tears were shed that day, and two days later when he and my Aunt Mildred drove out to see me.
Since that reunion I have had many conversations with my uncle Claude, speaking with him about everything I could. In catching up I probably talked his ears and Aunt Mildred’s ears off, but they didn’t seem to mind. My uncle helped me to learn more about who my father was, about family, and about everything else that matters in life. And everything he ever said to me mattered. Greatly. I didn’t realize until years later that those conversations were teaching me what it was to be a man. He taught me Christian forgiveness when he told me not to harbor anger for my mother for the lost time, and he showed me the value of letting go of the past and living in the present moment. He was a man who lived his words….and I could live to be 100 and I doubt I would have the wisdom and the heart that my uncle Claude had.
I last saw my uncle over Thanksgiving, and I will always carry the memory of seeing him so happy and energetic to be surrounded by close family. It made me happy to see uncle Claude happy and at peace in life. He and Aunt Mildred together were the rock in our corner of the West family. They were married for 58 years and they raised three fantastic sons and have three great daughters-in-law. You can see the wonderful legacy they made together when you look at their seven grandchildren, and in how proud my uncle was of each of them. At risk of repeating myself, my uncle Claude West was an incredible human being and there are no words to express the loss the West family is feeling. I will never forget my Uncle Claude and everything he taught me.
My uncle Claude was born December 12th, 1935, and he passed away peacefully at home Friday morning on December 27th, 2013 surrounded by close family.
My thoughts and prayers are with my Aunt Mildred and cousins James, Mark, and Doug and their families during this sad loss.
Services for my uncle will be 11 am Monday at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler, Texas.
