Jerry Wayne West

Jerry Wayne West passed away on September 22, 2024 at Arbor Acres knowing he was beloved by his family and friends. He was born on January 21, 1938 to Wilda Tate and Wayne Anderson West in Forsyth County.  

Jerry celebrated his 64th wedding anniversary to his childhood friend and high school sweetheart, Ruby Hogue West, just a few weeks prior to her death in January of this year. They had two children, Cindy Mills (Ken) and Jeff West (Juli). He was known as “Paw” to his four grandchildren, Jake Mills (Abby), Jason Mills, Hank West, and Margaux West. He was especially proud of the news that a great grandson is due in November, asking every chance he could about how Abby and “Peanut” are doing. Jerry also cherished being called “Bub” by his sister, Nancy Rowell (Steve). While those were very special titles to him, Jerry was also affectionately known as “The Mayor” by those who knew him given his infectious personality and love for people. As the saying goes, Jerry never met a stranger.

 From the tender age of five, Jerry learned that life is hard and unpredictable as he witnessed his father’s death in a hunting accident. While that loss would shape much of his life, he was blessed to have a mom and grandmother who were devoted to praying for him. His grandfather, known to him as “Fa Fa”, stepped in as his mentor and father figure by loving him, taking him to church, and teaching him the value of hard work. That mentorship would be a model for him throughout his life as he loved to share the lessons he had learned and always challenged people to turn “lemons into lemonade”. Jerry became quite the athlete and later entered Wake Forest University on a baseball scholarship. Wake Forest became more than a school but a home to him given the lifelong friendships he made while a student. He would go on to serve his alma mater as a member of the Deacon Club and later as the President of the Deacon Club. 

 Given Jerry was involved in the ROTC program at Wake Forest, he later served his country in the US Army. Those crucial years of service and training provided him the skills necessary to step into a successful career at RJR Archer after his humble beginnings as “just a country boy” as he would often describe himself. While at RJR, Jerry experienced a life altering event when the private airplane he was on crashed in Naples, Florida. In a later interview about that life changing day, he described the experience with the following quote, which may best depict the man we loved dearly and already miss deeply. 

 “I guess I am an eternal optimist. A lot of things happened that day that make me believe there’s a greater power that said these guys need another chance. I can assure you that after something like that, you check out your personal priorities.”

 Family time, Wrightsville Beach, fishing, sports, and pancake days with his nephew, Homer Craig, were among his many passions. Staying busy in retirement also included serving on Bermuda Run’s town council given his love for the town and the county he had lived in for so long. In the last weeks of his life, Jerry’s commitment to the Lord was perhaps the family’s most treasured memory of him. The Lord’s Prayer and the hymn “Amazing Grace” brought him much peace.

 The family will celebrate his life on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel in Advance starting at 3:00 with visitation following the service. In lieu of flowers, we believe it will be a beautiful way to honor the man who served so well throughout his life by choosing a family, who is dealing with the demands of caregiving, and blessing them with your time, talents and/or treasures.