Willie Lee West

Willie Lee West, formerly of Muskegon Heights, Michigan, died on November 26, 2024 at the age of 82. Having suffered a debilitating stroke in March, the last months of his life were extremely difficult, but he worked hard to maintain a positive outlook in the face of great adversity.

Willie was born in Morehouse Parish in northeast Louisiana. He grew to be a man of imposing physical stature, earning him the moniker “Big West.” He became a first-time father to Andre Phillips.

As a student at Grambling College (now Grambling State University), he met Joy Melton. They were married in Bastrop, Louisiana in 1963 and became the parents of two sons, Prentice and Carlos, before moving to Muskegon Heights, Michigan, in 1970, to pursue greater economic opportunities. In Michigan the family grew to include three more children: Aaron, Dena, and Joan.

Willie began studying the Bible in his later years and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2010. He had been associated with the Muskegon South Congregation before moving to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in May of 2024.

Willie is survived by his six children: Andre Phillips (Kansas City, KS); Prentice (Tamara) West (Fort Wayne, IN); Carlos (Tracy) West (Cuyahoga Falls, OH); Aaron (Janel) West (Westland, MI); Dena (Marshane) Bonaparte (Evansville, IN); and Joan (Darrell) Williams (Akron, OH). He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren: Paige and Brooklyn West, Brian Nolan II, Kennedy (Darrion) Green, Meena Nepal, and Jackson and Joy Williams; as well as his two precious great-grandchildren: August Lee West (whose middle name was given as an homage to his great-grandfather), and Fall Green.

Growing up in the rural South, Willie was intimately acquainted with poverty, prejudice, and deprivation. He always wanted something better for his children, and he did everything in his power to make that a reality. He was inspired by the Sam Cooke song, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which poignantly expressed a wish for a better world. His family is grateful that he came to understand through his study of the Bible that the peaceful new world that we all long for will soon become a reality under God’s Kingdom.

Condolences and special memories of Willie can be shared with his family online at www.heritagecremationsociety.com