William Taylor "Bill" West

1949 - 2024

William "Bill" Taylor West
July 26, 1949 - October 31, 2024
William "Bill" Taylor West passed away on Oct 31st, 2024, in New York City holding the hands of his wife, Scarlette, and children, Taylor and Liza.
Born into one of the founding families of San Antonio, a descendant of the last messenger of the Alamo and 1st mayor, Bill was one of 6 "West boys" growing up at Rio Vista Farms and was a graduate of Alamo Heights High School. Bill attended the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and became a life-long Longhorns football fan. Upon completion, Bill embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, establishing West & Company in 1976. The company went on to be recognized as one of North America's leading livestock advertising and horse and cattle photography firms. West and Company's esteemed clientele included Hudson Pines Farm, Rio Vista international, McCombs Ranches, and the YO. In 1990, Bill founded Taylor West Advertising, a full-service commercial ad agency. As the CEO of Taylor West for three decades, Bill led the company to significant success, with combined billing surpassing $250 million. Notable among Taylor West clientele were Valero Energy, Tesoro Petroleum, IBC Bank, Boot Ranch, and South Padre Island.
Not one to sit around, Bill spearheaded many creative endeavors throughout his career. For example, at age 32, Bill along with one of his best friends, Bill Rogers, founded the Music Masters Charity Golf Tournament in Dallas, TX attended by top golfers including Greg Norman, Ben Crenshaw, and members of the music community including members of Fleetwood Mac and Bon Jovi.
Bill also had the pleasure to serve on numerous boards including the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, providing valuable insights to preserve the rich heritage of Texas, as well as the US Olympic Festival, Great Springs Project, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Country Club, and Humana Hospital. In 2014, he became the first recipient of the Trinity University "Small Businessperson of the Year" award. A true son of Texas, Bill was also a member of the Texas Cavaliers, San Antonio German Club, and Order of the Alamo as well as the Sons of the Republic of Texas.
Throughout his life, Bill embodied the "work hard, play hard" mantra. When he wasn't playing golf at the San Antonio Country Club, he was riding his bike along the Rio Grande Trail or skiing down Ajax Mountain in his beloved Aspen, CO. He also loved traveling to NYC to enjoy a great meal at Scalinatella with his kids and grandkids. In addition, Bill loved an adventure with his many close friends and family including taking a helicopter to a glacier in New Zealand, paddling through a hippo pond in Botswana, and exploring the boulevards of Buenos Aires. But his favorite pastime of all was having a glass of Jordan with his "Wif", his cheerleader and love of his life, Scarlette, his wife of 48 years.
Bill left an indelible mark on those around him and will be truly missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tito and Mary Frances West, and brothers, Cuatro and Chris West. Survivors include his wife, Scarlette; son, Taylor; daughter, Liza and son-in-law, Dave, grandchildren: Liam, Ascher, Gia, Weston and Albie; brothers: Mitch West and wife Elizabeth, Jim West and wife Martha, and Randy West and wife Linda, many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. The West Family would also like to thank Dr. Lon Smith and his wonderful nurses, Bonnie and Jennifer, for their kindness and dedication to Bill's care.
SERVICES
A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00pm on Monday, November 18, 2024, at St. Andrew's Church, 722 Robinhood Place, San Antonio, Texas 78209 with Reverend Michael Crocker officiating.
Pallbearers are Tom Bagby, Mote Baird, Jimmy Baxter, Dave Dunham, Carlisle Maxwell, Tim McClure, Billy Osborn, Paul Pace, Bart Palm, Rusty Palmer, Al Philip, Bill Rogers, Jon Tate, and Honorary Pallbearer: Steve Lee.
In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org.
For personal acknowledgement, you may sign the online guestbook at www.missionparks.com in the obituary section.