Jack Oran West

Jack Oran West, one of the last surviving members of the Greatest Generation, was born in Coy, Arkansas, on May 8, 1923, and peacefully passed away August 26, 2017, at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, South Carolina. Jack proudly served his country during World War II working as a Civil Servant in an ammunition factory in Lonoke County, Arkansas. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Anita Moore. Jack began his career in retail business by working in his father's, Claude Daniel West, store in England, Arkansas, during the Great Depression where many people relied on the West family's generosity and kindness. Mr. West was one of the last remaining graduates of the England High School class of 1941. He attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. As a life-long retail merchant, Jack's start was an assistant manager of the Conway J.C. Penny store. Later he worked his way into the position of manager of Young's Department Store in Clarksville, Arkansas. He and his business partner, Ted Riley, opened Riley-West Department Store in the 1960s and later pioneered the Levi business into Arkansas in the 1970s with the Bottom Half stores located in central Arkansas. Mr. West stayed active in many civic and church organizations in Clarksville and Little Rock. He was a founding member of the Arkansas Retail Merchants Association, Downtown Clarksville Merchant's Association, Clarksville Light and Water Board of Directors, Lions Club, Peach Board, Masonic Lodge, The First Baptist Church of Clarksville and was proudly a founding member of the Cherry Street Baptist Church. Jack loved Arkansas Razorback sports and was looking forward to calling the hogs in the upcoming season. He also loved to travel, read the on-line Arkansas newspapers, try new restaurants, and caladium gardening. Winters were spent designing his tropical gardens. The Wests moved to Beaufort, South Carolina, to be near their daughter, Bliss West Baxley, and son-in-law, Bruce Baxley, when Anita became ill in 2011. Jack passed away briefly after a fall that caused a massive heart attack. The family would like to thank the staff and doctors of Beaufort Memorial Hospital for their kindness and caring attitude. Besides being survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Jack is survived by his sister and her husband, the Reverend and Mrs. (Mary Dell) Logan B.C. Hutson of Cabot, Arkansas, niece and husband Bill and Barbara Mallery of Minnesota, nephew Ronald and Cynthia Hutson of Hot Springs, Arkansas, nephew, Daniel and Rebecca Hutson of Bryant, Arkansas, and their children and grandchildren. He is also survived by special family members Lee and Mary Margaret (Capps) White of Kennebunkport, Maine, Jerod, Blaine (White), Jonathan, and Ethan Colley or Westford, Massachusetts, Edward and Georgia (Reynolds) Bean of Clarksville, Arkansas, Dennis and Cheryl (Harris) Ledbetter of Charleston, South Carolina, and Kaye (Bagsby) Person of Parkin, Arkansas. A memorial service will be officiated by the Reverend Hutson at the Union Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Coy, Arkansas, on Friday, September 29, 2017, at 2 p.m. A graveside prayer and co-mingling of ashes will follow at the grave sites of Mr. West's parents, Claude Daniel West and Phila Delphia (Haglar) West, in Tomberlin Cemetery located in Lonoke County, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests and appreciates memorial donations made to: Johnson County Historical Society, 133 West Main Street, Clarksville, Arkansas 72830.