Lt. Col. (Retired) Joe T. West

Lt. Col. (Retired) Joe T. West, United States Army, was born April 10, 1936 in Memphis, TN to Joe and  Opal (Blanks) West. He departed this life on Sunday, June 17, 2018 at Mercy Hospital, Springfield, MO.

He attended Arkansas State University on a football scholarship. As a former army pilot, he was a member of Vietnam Veterans Helicopter’s Association and Smokejumpers. Following his retirement and honorable discharge from the United States Army, he worked as Director of Emergency Management for the Department of Civil Defense in Greene County, MO for six years.  Joe was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Browning on June 28, 1958, and to this union four children were born. He was of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Browning) West, of the home; his children, Terry Saddler (Rick), Springfield, MO, Denise Dobbs (Charles Wade) Billings, MO, Joanne LaManna, St. Louis, MO, and Randy West (Pam), Fremont Hills, MO; his sister, Cindy West, Little Rock, AR; twelve grandchildren, Matthew, Michael, Stacie, Baylee, Andrew,  Megan, Nicholas, Shane, Maggie, Joe, Allison, and Maggie A.; and three great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents and his brother, Carl West.

Graveside services with full military honors for Lt. Col. (Retired) Joe T. West will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 21, 2018 in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Springfield, MO. Visitation will be from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, 2018 in the Fraker Funeral Home, Inc.