Charles Robert West Jr.

On April 16, 1943, Bob was born to Bright Bickerstaff West and Charles Robert West in Atlanta, Ga. Going home to his grandmother's home at 808 Lullwater, young Bob was steeped in "old Atlanta" culture even though his family moved to St. Simons Island when he was three. It seemed as if Bob had "dual citizenship" in Atlanta and St. Simons Island; he loved both.

As a boy, he and his family spent good times on the beach, fished, explored the woods, shot BB guns, hung out at the old Beachview Hotel, and had lunches at the St. Simons Drugs lunch counter. Bob quickly learned to love the island and its history, and to appreciate his heritage. He kept those loves throughout his life and enjoyed sharing his knowledge with anyone who was interested. He enjoyed sharing his love of history by displaying his photo gallery of St. Simons and surrounding areas at his home. He valued the gifts of time and service by all those who came before him, as they shaped who he was.

As a Boy Scout and Sea Scout, he learned about nature and boating while solidifying friendships with many who became lifelong friends. Bob attended Glynn Academy, where he was a proud member of the class of 1961.

He also began a lifelong love of radios and communications as a young boy in his teens under the mentoring of Tom Mabry and Carl Rainwater. He maintained this love, which grew into expertise that he then shared with others. He always had a cabinet of communications equipment that many referred to fondly as “mission control.” He enjoyed building, trading, and repairing radios for himself and others; talking with other ham radio operators around the world; and assisting the Coast Guard when boaters declared emergencies on the water. Whenever a big storm was imminent, many friends and others would check with Bob to see if evacuation might be needed.

As Bob grew up, he also learned to shoot and hunt from his Dad. His love of the sport grew into shooting competitively in the Army, culminating in his winning the Eighth Army championship (1968) in Korea. He thoroughly enjoyed his tour of duty in Korea, immersing himself in the people, culture, and cuisine. In later years, he became known as an authority on tracking people’s locations during their service in Korea to find places where some may have been exposed to Agent Orange. He also continued his love of shooting after his service by building guns, checkering them, and loading ammunition. He enjoyed target shooting and taught his family to enjoy the sport as well.

Upon leaving the military, Bob returned home and met his wife, Dee; they married in 1969. He graduated from Auburn University in 1972 with a degree in industrial management. After five years of marriage, they welcomed their first child Christy; then eleven years later, Rob. Bob’s deep love of his family was expressed in his dedication to keeping them safe and happy, and their futures secure. He dearly loved his children and delighted in their accomplishments, sharing them readily with his friends.

He worked for Haven Manufacturing with tool and die, helping develop machinery for several industries. He also worked with pneumatics before finding his main career job with Brunswick Pulp and Paper (later Georgia Pacific) in electrical drafting.

In the late 1990s, he left Georgia Pacific to retire and help his parents, who also lived on St. Simons. Throughout his retirement, he continued to enjoy building and troubleshooting problems with anything from radios to power tools to firearms, often consulting with his children on home repair/improvement issues even from hundreds of miles away.

One of his favorite things to do after retirement was to enjoy a drink and a cigar on the front porch with close friends, usually accompanied by one of his beloved cats Gilbert, Patrick, or PD. Bob was also an avid connoisseur of music, particularly old and soul music. He enjoyed an extensive music collection and he loved to share it with like-minded friends and family. He would watch old movies and bask in the pleasure of the music he loved so much.

Bob volunteered his services to the community in several ways, from the Coast Guard Auxiliary to the Civil Air Patrol to a 20+ year stint as a lighthouse keeper for the St. Simons Light. His team of volunteer lighthouse keepers was awarded the 2015 Volunteer of the Year award by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. For Bob, tending the Light was not just a volunteer task, but a calling to which he passionately dedicated countless hours.

Throughout his life, Bob always pursued and shared knowledge, and we are all the better for him having touched our lives.

Bob passed away on March 2, 2017, after a brief battle with a very rare type of leukemia/lymphoma. He is survived by his wife Dee and his children Christy and Rob. A memorial service will be held at St. Simons Methodist Church on Sunday, March 5, at 3:00 pm. There will be a celebration of Bob’s life immediately following at the West family home in Devonwood. A private entombment will be held at Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that interested parties remember Bob’s life with donations to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society (http://www.saintsimonslighthouse.org/donate.html) or St. Simons United Methodist Church (https://stsimons.securegive.com/SG/WebOnline/Home/Index?WO=stsimons).

Arrangements are entrusted to Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.