James Joseph West

1963 - 2014

James Joseph West, known to one and all simply as "Jim", left this earth on Friday, January 10, 2014.

Jim was born in the University of Chicago Hospital on May 1, 1963, but left Chicago only a year later, to take up residence in Ithaca, NY, along with his parents, Dick and Joanne, and his two older brothers Mike and Chad. His younger brother, Phil, was born there 5 years later.

Even as a young boy, Jim proved himself to be an excellent student and a talented athlete. He excelled in school was a member of numerous athletic teams, including the undefeated Kiwanis, a baseball team of 1969.

Jim moved with his family to Eugene in 1972, where lived for the next 4 years. As in the past, he proved to be a superb student and talented athlete.

The West family moved again in 1976, this time to Hanover, NH, where Jim lived throughout the rest of his teenage years and into his time as an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College. Jim was the valedictorian of the Hanover High Class of 1981, where he also was the recipient of the Harvard Book Prize and a standout on the basketball team for all 4 years.

At Dartmouth Jim excelled in his academics, earning a Phi Beta Kappa key in his junior year and graduating summa cum laude with the class of 1985. He majored in economics, was a member of Kappa Sigma and played basketball for 2 years.

After working in an executive training position for 2 years as Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York, Jim returned to Hanover to pursue an MBA at Dartmouth's Amos Tuck School of Business. As in the past he excelled in his studies, graduating in 1989 as a Tuck Scholar.

Jim then returned to New York, to take up an associate's position in the real estate division of Morgan Stanley. For the next three years he worked any number of major real estate transactions managed by the firm.

In the Summer of 1992, Jim's brother Mike, who had been involved in the restaurant business in Eugene for nearly a decade, persuaded Jim and Phil to join him in starting West Bros' BBQ on Olive Street. Soon thereafter they added an Italian restaurant, Mona Liza.

Jim met the love of his life, Jane Ballin in the Summer of 1993. They married the following Fall and took up residence on Lawrence Street, only a few blocks from the restaurants.

In the years that followed Jim and Jane were blessed with four wonderful children: Henry, now 18, Caroline, now 17, Daphne, now 13 and Louise, now 11.

In 2001, the West Brothers decided to split their restaurants, with Mike continuing to own and operate the original full service restaurants, and Jim and Phil taking on Mucho Gusto, the first of what they expected to be a number of "fast casual" establishments.

From then until his death, Jim and his brother expanded and refined their stable of restaurants, including a second Mucho Gusto in Medford, 2 Dickie Jo's Burgers, including one in Tualatin, 2 Dickie Yo's Frozen Yogurt stores and, most recently, Bill&Tim's BBQ on 13th at Pearl St.

Although his profession played a very important part in his life, he was even more devoted to his family. He was particularly involved in the academic and sporting activities of his children, no doubt reflecting on how his own youthful studies and sports that had shaped his life. The children will miss his ability to make them all laugh; Jim had a wonderful self deprecating way of creating cheer in his house.

The most remarkable aspect of Jim's legacy in the eyes of many, however, was his desire to improve the lives of his employees. Jim never gave up on a project or a person.

Jim West is survived by his wife, Jane and their four children, his parents and his brothers Chad and Phil. He was predeceased by his brother Mike.

A memorial service in Jim's memory will take place at The Shedd, 868 High St., Eugene, OR, on Monday, January 20, 2014, at 3PM.

In lieu of flowers we are asking for donations in Jim's memory to be made to "The Track Restoration Fund" at South Eugene High School or "The Theatre Department" at South Eugene High school or University Fellowship.