Franklin West

Franklin Delano West September 22, 1940 - March 18, 2013 Resident of San Jose Franklin Delano West, a public servant dedicated to education and civic engagement, a businessman with a 35-year career in technology management and consulting, and a devoted family man, passed away peacefully at home. He was 72. Born in Cuthbert, GA, West moved to West Palm Beach, FL, as a child. In school, he applied himself, performed well, and became the first in his family to attend college. At Talledega College he studied math and physics, and met and married the love of his life, Margaret Reddick ("Peggy"). Upon graduation, West moved to San Francisco after having secured a job at the Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore. Following two years at Sandia, he joined IBM in San Jose as a programmer and forged a career that moved from technical programming to management to business consulting where he was valued for his insights, experience and work ethic. Work at IBM took him throughout the USA and around the world, traveling to Asia, Europe and Australia. After retiring from IBM, he continued to pursue his interest in business consulting, enrolling in the Transnational Executive Management Business Program at California State University and earning an Executive MBA. West served on the Evergreen School District Board of Trustees, the San Jose Planning Commission, and the East Side Union High School District School Board, where his reputation for integrity, effectiveness and a commitment to civic engagement became even more apparent. Yet, for all he accomplished in business and in public service, West's greatest pride and most enduring legacy was his family. His family interactions reinforced the importance of unconditional love, self-discipline, humor, forgiveness, support and loyalty - values imparted to his children and grandchildren because, as he wrote, "it takes generations to build a family." West is survived by Peggy, his wife of nearly 50 years; Tony, his son; Pamela, his daughter; Patricia, his daughter; Maya, his daughter-in-law; Vittorio and Amadis, his sons-in-law; Meena, Alex, Kaia and Ezra, his grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends. A Celebration of Franklin West's life will be held Sunday, June 2, at 1:00 p.m., at the Dolce Hayes Mansion, 200 Edenvale Avenue, San Jose, CA 95136. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Franklin D. West to the Talladega College Alumni Scholarship Fund, c/o Talladega College, 627 West Battle Street, Talladega, AL 35160.