Phillip James West

TWIN FALLS – Phillip James West, age 92, of Twin Falls, died Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Twin Falls.

Phil was born April 3, 1924 in Declo, Idaho to John Henry and Sarah Belle Weese West. He was the youngest born to the large family of 9 children living at that time. The eldest was William “Tex” 20 yrs Phil’s senior. Phil’s other siblings were Henry “Hank”, John “Jack”, Ester “Orvie”, Mary “Merc”, Alvin, Charles “Chuck”, and Cora.

Phil attended school in Declo and graduated from Declo high school in 1942. He participated in sports playing baseball, basketball, and football. Phil was also a talented boxer. Phil’s father died when Phil was 11. The family struggled. Phil had helped provide income and food thru hunting and trapping. He once said he could shoot the head off a dove in flight with a 22. Phil also opted that trapping muskrats was easy money and not as problematic as skunks. He substantiated that statement with an experience with the recovery of a trapped skunk. He asked his brother Alvin to fatally hit the skunk when he pulled the skunk out of a culvert. Alvin hit the skunk just hard enough to make it mad. The skunk sprayed Phil, creating a difficult situation.

After high school Phil joined the Army in 1943. He possessed the necessary West Point credentials to join the Air Force Aviation Cadets. However, after initial pilot training he was transferred to the 66th Infantry Division. He once said he regretted passing up the opportunity to continue as a pilot trainee if only he would have boxed for the Air Corp. As an infantry soldier preparing for war, Phil trained as a paratrooper, and mortar operator. However, Phil did not see combat. During live-fire training a mortar round discharged near him resulting in near fatal injuries. Phil survived those injuries and was honorably discharged in 1945.

After military discharge Phil returned to south-central Idaho in 1946. Once home he met his bride-to-be Katherine Eileen Fowler. Phil and Eileen eloped and were married in 1947 in Elko county Nevada. On their honeymoon they traveled to California to visit Phil’s oldest brother William “Tex”. While visiting, Phil came down with scarlet fever. After the recovery, the newlyweds returned to Idaho. Phil and Eileen moved to Boise where Phil used the GI bill to attend business school. Together they bought “mechanic specials” to repair and re-sell. This effort provided added income for sustenance and tuition. After completing school the couple moved to Gooding in 1950 where Phil took a job working for an automobile dealer. While there the couple’s first child was born. Kathleen was born Oct 16, 1951 in Jerome. Phil took a new job in Blackfoot working for American Potato Co. While living in Blackfoot the family grew with the birth of their second child Phillip Bradley on March 24, 1956. Also during these years Phil participated in American Legion fast pitch softball, and City bowling leagues.

Phil found the beginning of a 27yr long career working for the State of Idaho. His positions included; personnel management, accounting, and workman’s comp’ insurance. His first State of Idaho position took the family to Caldwell, ID in 1961, then to Pocatello in 1962 where they stayed until 1967 when they then moved to Boise. Phil enjoyed hunting and fishing in the great outdoors of Idaho. He and his son Phillip enjoyed many hunting and fishing outings. Besides the hunting and fishing, Phil spent many hours coaching his son Phillip in sports including being an assistant coach for one of Phillip’s baseball teams. Phil took early retirement in 1983. Now free of the daily burden of employment Phil and Eileen could try other diversions. They tried a multi-day babysitting duty of their 3 young grandkids while Phillip and DeAnn went out of town. This seemingly simple task became a nightmare when all three children caught chickenpox. Admittedly the most trying moment was when the granddaughter demanded that they should “call somebody, right now”, to fix it. From then on Phil and Eileen said they’d be happy to babysit if Phillip and DeAnn stayed home to help. As a retired couple, Phil and Eileen moved around southern Idaho to find their comfortable place, with occasional snowbird stays in points south, such as Kingman, AZ, St. George, UT and Mesquite, Nevada. They settled on Twin Falls as their most perfect home.

Phillip James West was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Eileen, in December 2015; and also siblings Rusha, Sabina, William, Henry, John, Ester, Mary, Alvin, Charles, and Cora.

He is survived by his daughter Kathleen “Kazara” West of Twin Falls, and son Phillip Bradley West (DeAnn) of Mesquite NV, granddaughter Hilary West of Denver, CO, grandsons Justin West (Deirdre) of Wickenburg, AZ, and Alexander West (Marcy) of Carson City, NV, great-grandson Thomas Trappa of Idaho Falls and numerous nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, where friends may call from 1 until 1:45 p.m. preceding the service. Military honors will be provided by the Mini-Cassia Veterans Organization. Burial will follow in the Rupert Cemetery.