Allen C. West

Allen C. West, September 21, 1930 - October 30, 2025

Allen Crawford West was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1930. He came to the US in 1941 with his mother and siblings after the invasion of Greece by German paratroopers. Educated at Phillips Academy Andover and Princeton University, he served three years in the US Army and received a PhD in Chemistry from Cornell University in 1960. He taught at Williams College and Lawrence University until his retirement in 1993. He moved to Cambridge, MA in 1994 with his late wife Emily. While there, he was a tutor at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School and a volunteer at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years Emily Mountz West (1999), his son Daniel Colton West (2014) and his grandson Michael Crawford Bennett (1990). He is survived by his daughters Margaret Bennett and Katherine Walles (David) and daughter-in-law Kelly Myers West, as well as three grandchildren, Jennifer Bennett, Andrew Walles (Elizabeth), and Christopher Walles (Katie), and a great granddaughter Sawyer Grace Walles.

Allen and Emily helped establish the Unitarian Fellowship in Appleton. One Sunday in 1983, he heard a poet read their work at the fellowship gathering, and he said to himself "I can do that!" And he could! He placed in and won competitions, his poems appeared in several journals, and he published four chapbooks. He was a long-time member of The Workshop for Publishing Poets in Brookline, MA.

When Allen moved to Brookhaven at Lexington in 2007, he became involved in many activities. He always said he was glad he moved there while still young enough to get involved. He performed with the Brookhaven Players and sang with Chorale. His table tennis skills were impressive, and he could often be found making up the 4th in a bridge game. He loved to walk the Brookhaven nature trail and often took his loppers out to with him to remove any invasive plants he might find. He unfailingly rode the Friday afternoon shuttle to the Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts and enjoyed seats at Symphony Hall that had been in the family since the 1930s.

Tennis was a lifelong love. Allen won the Fort Bragg doubles championship in 1954 and many more tournaments over the years, being ranked for many years in the Wisconsin tennis community. He continued to play until well into his 80s and lamented the fact that he had to play younger players as there was no one there even close to his age who could give him a "good game".

Allen met his sweetheart, Betsey Farber, on the Brookhaven shuttle bus, and they had been together for over 10 years. Their lives were so much better for being together-they adored each other. Movies, symphony concerts, musical performances at Brookhaven-they were always side by side.

The family would like to thank the staff at Brookhaven for their wonderful care of Allen over the years. Two nurses of note, Thais and Alise, have been especially important in helping Allen live his best life. We were also blessed with the support of CNAs from Adams Nursing, most especially Edith, Angelee, and Sarah, who cared for him (and us) with such love and compassion.

Donations in Allen's memory may be sent to The Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118 or online at www.pinestreetinn.org

A memorial service will be held at Brookhaven at Lexington at a future date.