Samuel Abe West

23 May 1931- 11 December 2013

Colonel Samuel Abe West Jr. was born at John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth, Texas on May 23rd, 1931 to Samuel Abe West Sr. and Jessie Leo Needham West.

The paternal side of his family had a direct male line to Benjamin West, who was a Revolutionary War soldier brutally tortured and murdered by British Tory forces in Glenn Springs, South Carolina in 1780, during the American Revolution. Sam's childhood was filled with stories of military service of his paternal grandfather, William Leech West, who had been an Army officer in the Confederacy and of his own father whose stateside service in World War I had ended with his promotion to Sergeant First Class. William Leech West, his paternal grandfather, had been a founding father of Joshua, Texas when the entire town moved from Caddo Grove, on the Chisholm Trail and reestablished two miles east on the new railroad with the new name of Joshua, Texas. Much of the original home place near Caddo Grove is still in possession of the family. Stories were also told of his maternal grandfather's move to Texas from Dutch Creek, Kentucky largely due to his distaste for hand-picking worms off of tobacco plants. The Needham family stories included stories of his great, great grandfather, Reverend James Harrison Needham, who had been a Methodist circuit-riding preacher in North Carolina and who preached his last sermon at the age of 99.

He spent his childhood, along with his late sister Mahdeen, during the Great Depression, in Joshua, Texas surrounded by generations of extended family. Although the Depression was fairly easy on the industrious and propertied West family, the experience was still used as a basis for his frugality throughout the remainder of his life. In a family of grocers and farmers, there was always food to eat during the Depression. Food usually came home that was completely edible, but which could no longer be sold at the store. Sam was never able to eat a yellow banana- it had to have black spots on it before it was considered remotely edible! He was always amused at the term "soul food". What was considered "soul food" to him was just good, southern home cooking, often using produce raised in Grandmother's garden and chicken yard. He was originally raised in the First Methodist Church of Joshua until the age of twelve, until some "old church women" irritated him. Many of his stories to his children began with the phrase, "back in the Depression…."

Colonel West's early life was occupied with many adventures with his first cousin Wayne Webb. Sammy raised his own cattle, picked cotton, rode widely across Johnson County on horseback, and hunted and fished to reckless abandon. He had a special place in his heart for his beloved grandfather, Jesse Wood Needham, a farmer who instilled in him his love and respect for the wonders of the natural world. He and Wayne spent many days working and playing on their Grandfather Jesse's farm.

In his later childhood and teen years, he frequently would be found working in his parent's grocery store and post office. One of his jobs in the family store was as the assistant butcher to his Uncle Jim Needham. As a teenager, he often drove a truck into Fort Worth to pick up wholesale supplies for the store.

His lifelong appreciation for Mexican food came from his neighbors, the Montenez family. A good pot of pinto beans and cornbread would usually illicit his famous "good food dance".

He was a member of the Joshua's Boy Scout troop, until the troop disbanded after their Scoutmaster and other adult leaders were drafted for service in World War II and no other volunteers could be found. He spoke fondly of scrap metal drives during World War II and a summer camp on the Paluxy River near Glen Rose, Texas, where he acquired the worst sunburn of his life! He played on the Joshua football team, until a knee injury ended his brief career. He graduated high school in 1948 in a class of 22 people.

He was a Master Mason and had been a member of the Parsons Lodge, AF&AM Masonic Lodge in Austin, Texas for over 50 years. His father had been a Master Mason and member of the Caddo Grove Lodge in Joshua, Texas.

In 1949, he attended Arlington State College (Now the University of Texas at Arlington and then an affiliate of Texas A&M University) where he joined the Army ROTC. He graduated with an ABS in 1951. In 1951, he transferred to the University of Texas in Austin to pursue a business degree. He continued his Army ROTC education, in the Military Police Company and was on the pistol team. He maintained his skill and interest in pistol marksmanship until late in life. His lifelong firearm of choice was the Colt 1911, his sidearm as a Military Police Lieutenant. He told many stories of Mrs. Brunette's boarding house, and his buddies Judge Bill Hughes, Chris Ioannou, and Ed Cates. He also related stories of knowing actor Rip Torn, a fellow ROTC student during his time at UT. Graduating from the University in 1953 with a Bachelor in Business Administration, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. His first active-duty assignment was to Fort Gordon, Georgia for the Military Police Officer Basic Course. Following this he was assigned as a Military Police Platoon Leader at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and then a Assistant Provost Marshal at White Sands Proving Ground, NM, where he led a group of Military Police providing security to the Trinity Site near Socorro, NM, the location where the first nuclear test device was detonated in 1945. Their mission was to keep the curious away, prevent the theft of radioactive trinitite and prevent the local ranchers from grazing sheep and cattle in the contaminated detonation area.

After his active military service, he returned briefly to the Texas Army National Guard and to employment with the State of Texas Comptroller's office in the Motor Fuels division. He also attended graduate school at the University of Texas, studying marketing. This is where he met his wife of fifty years, Dorothy Diane Schmidt, on a "blind" date arranged by his buddy Ed Cates and Diane's childhood friend, Judy Squyres. Sam had seen Diane's picture in the Austin newspaper and asked Ed to arrange a date. The birth of two children, Sam III and then Cathy, and the realities of making a living prevented him from ever finishing his graduate thesis in Marketing.

He returned to the Boy Scouts in 1971, first as support to Diane when she served as a Den Mother in Pack 22 in Austin. Then in 1974, he became an Assistant Webelos Leader and then continued into Boy Scouts in 1975. During Webelos, he learned the art of Leatherwork from Den Leader Harry Glimp. Over the years, he made belts and wallets for many family members and taught the craft to Sam III. He served on the Troop Committee for Troop 88, Memorial Methodist Church in Austin for many years, long after Sam III turned 18. He enjoyed the fellowship with the other Troop leaders- "Uncle " Harry Glimp, Dusty Thames, Tom McMullen , "Papa" Jack Carson, Woody Ervin, Al Greenberg and many others during those years. His primary job on the committee was practicing his celebrated frugality as the Troop Treasurer and Quartermaster. He was also a counselor for Safety and Personal Management merit badges. He attended most campouts, and summer camps, including camp at Lost Pines Scout Reservation, a 50 mile Pack and Paddle canoeing trip on the Colorado River and trips to Philmont, Creede, Colorado and East Texas. Known for his legendary distaste for cold weather, he would always volunteer to cook his famous beef stew during the annual campout to the Glimp Ranch each January. This allowed him to slow cook the stew and never leave the proximity of the fires, except to collect more firewood. He was elected as a member of the Order of the Arrow, a national honor society of Boy Scouts of America completing his Ordeal in 1978. During his decades in Scouting, he never owned a Scout leader's uniform, stating many times that he already had a closet full of Army uniforms!

He continued his long service in the Army Reserve, most notably with the 4162nd United States Army Reserve School in Austin. During his many years with the unit, he served as the S-3, Deputy Commandant and finally, after the promotion to full Colonel, as the Commandant of the unit. Following his command tour, he retired from the active Reserves in 1984 and then from the individual ready reserves in 1986 with 33 years of total service. He was briefly considered for promotion to Brigadier General, but withdrew from consideration to spend more time with his family (and, following his inherent sense of frugality, to avoid the expense of having to buy completely new General Officer uniforms!). During his service he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and proudly wore his Expert Pistol Qualification Badge throughout his career.

He was employed by the Texas State Comptroller's Office for 36 years, briefly in the Motor Fuels division and later with the Inheritance Tax Division as an auditor. He retired from the Comptrollers Office in 1993 as the Chief Accountant and Supervisor of Policy Section, Inheritance Tax Division. He became well-known as an expert in Texas Inheritance Tax law and was frequently consulted by attorneys and testified before the legislature on several occasions.

Following the death of both their parents, he and his sister Mahdeen established the Bell-West Company to manage the two family farms and several other properties in and around Joshua.

After retirement, he and Diane travelled to Alaska, and multiple trips to Mexico City and London. They were vacationing in London on September 11th, 2001. The return trip was postponed for several days pending resumption of normal flight schedules. When stopped at British Customs for having a nail clipper with a file on it, in true Military Police fashion, the Colonel broke the file portion off of the clipper and handed it to the customs officer, keeping the clipper portion. He was passed through without further delay!

His remaining years were spent with his four grandchildren, enjoying many Austin restaurants, and conducting business as a gentleman farmer.

He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Diane West of Austin, his son LTC Samuel A. West III, DO, FAWM, USA (Ret.) and his wife Dr. Corinne West, DO of Andice, his daughter Cathy Cook and her husband Sam Cook of Pflugerville, and grandchildren, Travis Cook, Kelly Cook, Rachel West and Samuel A. West IV. He is also survived by his brother-in-laws Victor Raymond Schmidt III of Austin and Jerry Bell, husband of his late sister Mahdeen Bell of Joshua, Texas; his sister-in-law Linda Schmidt Matula of New Braunfels; nieces and nephews- Brian Bell, Lynn Bell, Lori Woods, Lisa Bishop, Anna Phillips, Lisa O'Banan, and Eric Matula.

The family would like to thank the caregivers at Cedar View Rehabilitation Center, the Buckner Alzheimer's unit, Buckner Campbell and Buckner Hospice unit for their compassion and care. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to Capital Area Food Bank, Buckner Hospice, ROCK Horse for Heroes or any veteran's organization.

He will always be remembered as a Son of Texas, an honorable man, a fervent anti-communist and Conservative, an unyielding supporter of the Second Amendment, and a loyal husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather.

Family visitation- Saturday, December 14th 3-5 pm, Weed-Corley Fish, 3125 North Lamar in Austin, Funeral services Sunday, December 15th at 2pm at Weed-Corley Fish, 3125 North Lamar in Austin. Internment to follow at Austin Memorial Park, Hancock 2800 Hancock Drive,