Donald Henry West

1947 - 2020

Donald Henry West

Milwaukee - Donald Henry West died peacefully the evening of February 28th, having lived fully for nearly 73 years. "Don," as he was known to his dedicated friends and colleagues, was born on March 9, 1947 in Binghamton, NY. It was there as a student at Johnson City High School that he would ultimately charm a fetching lass named Judith Harter and turn their young hometown romance into a 50-year marriage which was primarily spent in their adopted home of Wauwatosa. Over nearly five decades as a tax attorney in private practice, most recently in the Wauwatosa offices of Davis & West Law Firm, he served his clients with wisdom and patience, always making time to share a story and a laugh. He was a graduate of the University of Rochester and completed his law degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and University of Maryland. He served honorably in the US Army and as a member of the White House Communications Agency as a young man, then started his law career working for the Internal Revenue Service. His love of sports, particularly Badger basketball, was something widely known to those in his life, and this year's March Madness won't be the same without his well-considered bracket picks. He never passed up the chance to enjoy good food, and when he walked into a few restaurants around town he was enough the regular that it was easy to know he'd have an iced tea to start and maybe a crème brulee to finish his meal. Don defined his life not so much by racking up personal glories, but instead by working silently to make sure he did all he could to provide for his family. He is preceded in death by his father Henry and mother Dorothea (nee Tucker). He is survived by his wife Judith (nee Harter), sister Barbara, sons Jonathan (Paula Suozzi) and Christopher (Mary), granddaughters Dorothea and Carmela, and treasured nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. A celebration of Don's life will be held Monday, May 4th at 11:00am at the Elm Grove Women's Club, 13885 Watertown Plank Rd, Elm Grove, WI 53122. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for memorial gifts to be made in Don's honor to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and The Wisconsin Humane Society.