Bernard West

Bernard (Bernie) Hyland West
December 27, 1933 – July 6, 2013

Bernard (Bernie) Hyland West passed away Sunday, July 6, 2013 surrounded by his family after a brief battle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial will celebrated Wednesday, July 10, at 12:00 p.m. at St. Louis Catholic Church by Father Justin Nguyen. Burial will follow with military honors at Waco Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Boulevard, in Waco, with the rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m.

Bernie was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania on December 27, 1933 to Betty and Bill West. He graduated from St. James High School in 1951 in Chester, Pa. and moved to Texas where he attended St. Edward’s University in Austin. In 1954, he enlisted in the Army and served for three years. Following his Army service, he returned to St. Edward’s where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1960. In 1961 he received an Officer’s Commission in the Navy. It was then when he married Judy Larson in Lubbock and moved to California where he began his naval career. Their two daughters were born in San Diego, and they spent most of their younger years in Coronado. Bernie completed four combat tours in Vietnam, ending with the evacuation of Saigon in April of 1975 for which he earned the Navy Commendation Medal. While in the Navy, he earned a Masters in Economics from the University of Northern Colorado. He retired from the Navy in 1978 and moved back to Waco where he was employed by TSTC for 13 years. His love of tennis led him to the Waco Tennis Association of which he was an active member for many years. He became a USTA tennis official and refereed collegiate and professional tennis for over 30 years. Bernie was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church and a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Betty and Bill West.

Bernie is survived by his wife of 51 years, Judy; two daughters, Cathy Mease and husband, Scott of Dallas, and Carolyn Hartmann and husband, Duane of Houston; along with four grandchildren, Andrew and Sarah Mease, and Allison and Jennifer Hartmann. Bernie is also survived by his sister, Mary Jane Reinach and husband, Siegmund of Elizabethtown, KY.

Pallbearers will be Ed Vrana, Jim Ross, Kevin Foster, Ed Price, Bill Wareham and Andrew Campbell. Honorary pallbearers are Jim Latimer and Marty Ginnane.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Louis Catholic Church, the Baylor University Tennis Scholarship Program Fund or the charity of your choice.

The family wishes to thank the physicians, nurses and staff at Providence Hospital, especially those on 4 East for their kindness during his hospital stay, and all the caregivers at Providence Hospice for their loving care.