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Gary West Obituary
Gary, 78, of Sun City West, Arizona, went to be with the Lord, on Sunday, December 11, 2016. Gary was a proud member of the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1959, and was honorably discharged from active duty. While serving his country, he met Connie Elaine Walton, whom he married on February 27, 1958 in Washington D.C. In 1967, Gary achieved his dream of becoming an airline pilot, working for North Central Airlines. Gary served the airline industry until 1996, retiring as a Captain with Northwest Airlines. Gary and Connie enjoyed spending time on their houseboat on the Mississippi River, where they entertained family and friends. In retirement, they moved to Sun City West, Arizona, continuing to spend summers on their houseboat in Minnesota. Gary is survived by his wife Connie, brother Norbert (Svetlana), sons G. Leonard Jr. (Susan), Phillip, Steve, daughter Colise and grandchildren Alexis (Brandon), Kailani, Cody, Sammy and Matthew. Services will be held on Wednesday, December 14th, 2016 at 10 a.m. at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Sun City West, Arizona. Burial will follow at a future date at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota. The family encourages those who wish to honor his life make a donation in his name to Hospice of the Valley, Surprise, Arizona.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Gary West
5 Entries
Russell Kent
December 22, 2024
I was friends with Gary and his brother as we were growing up in Georgia. We renewed our friendship when we moved to AZ.
John McFarland
March 8, 2017
I flew co-pilot for Gary many times in both the CV-580 and DC-9. He was a true gentleman and a pleasure to work with. Blue skies, Gary.
Randy Sohn
December 27, 2016
Just a reminder of the good times we shared when he flew for us, a good friend!
December 18, 2016
What we are feeling at this time is hard to put into words. Gary was a friend for over 55 years. We shared a lot of good times over the years. Our deepest condolences to Connie and family.
Bill and Marie O'Neil
Bensalem PA
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John Wechs
December 14, 2016
I had the pleasure of being Gary's co-pilot on both the Convair-580 and the DC-9 between 1978 and 1983 for several months. A great pilot and a great human being. Thanks for the insights!
John Wechs
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