Obituary of William Everett West

William Everett West, 83, of Charlottesville, VA, passed away on November 2, 2020 in Ithaca, NY from complications due to stroke. A private service will be held at a time to be determined when it is safe again for family to gather. Bill was born in Ithaca, NY to Hermie and Cecil West on June 21, 1937. He went to Ithaca High School and graduated in 1955. Chief Justice As a teenager Bill was very active in both the Boy Scouts and Empire Boys State where he was elected by hundreds of other young men from across New York. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Bill began his career working as an Aerospace Engineer for the Kearfott Corporation in New Jersey and then worked at Northrup in Massachusetts and Sperry Marine in Virginia. Bill was most proud of his work on gyros for spacecraft guidance systems which flew to the moon on the Surveyor Missions and also on the Viking Missions to Mars. He also worked on periscope systems for submarines and was awarded a patent for one of his designs. Bill was also a licensed PE, (Professional Engineer) in the State of Virginia and was often called as an expert witness in court. He was also an accomplished sailor and enjoyed building and flying model airplanes as well as restoring vintage automobiles. Bill is survived by his two sons William West, Jr of Salem, MA and Robert West (Diane) of Lansing, NY, his sister Cecil (Gary) Thompson of Estacada, OR, grandchildren Robert, Brendan, Nathan, Rebecca, and Elizabeth, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Hermie and Cecil West. Memorial donations may be made to American Heart Association. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the caring staff at Beechtree Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Ithaca, NY.