Douglas Alan West, 67, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family and friends on Thursday, August 2, 2018. He was born on November 29, 1950 in Seattle, WA.

Growing up in the Blue Ridge neighborhood in north Ballard, Doug enjoyed going to Crownhill School and Rich Whitman middle school. After attempts to master the clarinet, he found the instrument’s case a suitable toboggan in the snow. He spent hours selling goods and services around the neighborhood, a skill which his mother knew came from his dad. Doug actively pursued his cousin John West in the realm of Boy Scouts. Like John, Doug attained the Eagle Scout rank and the Gold Quill award for journalistic writing. John forged ahead in the Order of the Arrow, so too did Doug-both attaining Brotherhood membership status. Doug also enjoyed completive swimming at the Blue Ridge Pool. The neighborhood team Boys and Girls weren’t always winners but everyone loved the spirit of competition all around the greater Seattle area.

Doug’s mother Irene and father Al, along with his younger sister Donna, all moved to Vashon Island where the family lived on Magnolia beach area of Quartermaster Harbor and then to the top of Maury Island, facing what now is Des Moines and Sea-Tac Airport. He enjoyed waterskiing and once attempted an island ritual of skiing around the island. While the spirits of those aboard a suitable craft were charged, the craft itself failed in the turn around the south end of the island, all hopes were dashed all due to a three dollar fuel filter. Doug graduated from Vashon Island High in May of 1968 and shortly thereafter the family moved to a place none actually believed existed – Sedro-Woolley, WA. Doug worked at Thrifty Foods, Western Farmers Farm Store, and Copeland Lumber while attending and graduating from Skagit Valley College in June, 1970. Some of Doug’s pals were interested in the Army, so a good sized group became Soldiers in the Army National Guard in late 1970, early 1971. He liked the comradeship of the Military and maintained his service until January 2011 where he retired at the rank of First Sergeant. While performing his Army duties, Doug followed a friend he met at a night job in Sedro-Woolley into the Law Enforcement career with the Mount Vernon Police Department. He joined the force in July, 1973 and retired from service in January, 2006. He was hired as Security Manager at Skagit Valley Hospital in January, 2006 and continued in that role until February, 2009. Doug worked for a number of years after leaving the Hospital at Cascade Job Corp Center as a Security Officer. Whether driving vans, trucks and buses, helping a student on their individual paths to their own success or just being a sounding board and resource to all who worked and studied at Job Corps, Doug always had a funny joke or story to tell and a smile on his face.

In July, 1982 Doug married Kim Haisten and they started down the road with intense optimism and respect. Kim and Doug had the satisfying experience of building numerous homes, landscaping, gardening and traveling around the County to their to their not-so-secret passion classic muscle cars in auction settings. Four classic cars were stabled at the West Garage, and driven to local and regional events. Doug found his soul-mate and the absolute love of his life. They bonded their love, goals and profound respect toward each other and lived each day with honor and commitment for one another.

Doug is survived by his wife, Alice Kim, of Mount Vernon; sister, Donna of Renton; cousins, John and Diane West, Janet West, Kenneth West, Ray West, Steve West, Bev Allen, Jim Ulrich and Dean Ulrich, all from the Seattle area. He is preceded in death by his parents, Al and Irene West; cousin, Dean West.

Something taken from an unknown source, but it forms a foundation to build upon life’s pathway… “Make death your friend, for it gives life its sweetness. Nothing is taken for granted when mortality is respected and revered…”

In lieu of a service and flowers, Doug and Kim request donations to the Wounded Warrior Foundation in Doug’s name. Share your memories of Doug and sign the online guest register.