Larry K. West

Larry K. West, 73, died April 13, 2017, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after a courageous but brief struggle with cancer. He was born Aug. 11, 1943, in Seattle, to Warren and Marjorie West.
Larry was raised an Army brat, traveling with his family among Washington, California and Alaska. He graduated from Lathrop High School in 1961 and immediately joined the Army. He spent the next three years serving admirably in the U.S. and Korea, mostly in support of our Cold War missile defense program.
Shortly after his discharge in 1964, he returned to the state he loved most, Alaska. He joined the Alaska Communications System under the U.S. Air Force, the same group his dad worked for and loved.
Although this organization went through several changes in name and ownership over the decades, Larry continued to be the senior go-to person until his retirement in 2015 from the current owner, AT&T, a service of more than 50 amazing years. He was a highly regarded shop steward for the Alaska Teamsters Local 959 for more than 30 years. And one of his proudest accomplishments was in support of communications for the Alyeska Pipeline.
Larry's greatest passions included socializing with his family and friends and restoring classic cars, particularly his cherished 1966 Corvette. He was the most loving, patient and supportive person to everyone who knew him. Larry never put himself first.
Larry was preceded in death by his loving parents and younger brother Tim. He is survived by the love of his life, Janie; his sister, Kathy Murphy, and her husband, Carl; brother Pat and wife Maria; brother Mike and wife Susan; and many generations of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by Janie's family, the O'Connors, Foulois', Cooks, Leylands and Poerios, and his dear friends, Lorre and Frank Oxman, and Michael Killian, who were as much family as friends.
A celebration of his life will be held this summer. Janie would like to thank everyone who provided so much support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the American Cancer Society or the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.
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