HENRY MARVIN WEST JR.
Died May 23
Henry Marvin West Jr., 90, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018.
A lifelong resident of Duplin County, Henry Marvin West Jr. was born and raised in Kenansville, N.C., to Henry Marvin West Sr. and Leona Elizabeth Houston West.
Involved in Boy Scouts as a child, he earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1942.
Mr. West graduated from Kenansville High School at the age of 16.
He continued his love for learning at Mars Hill during the summer of 1944, and in the fall of that year, attended Wake Forest University.
He felt a desire to serve his country, and enlisted in the United States Army the following year.
In 1948, Henry opened a store in Kenansville named Yore Store, and worked there until he decided that he needed to finish his education at Wake Forest.
Upon graduation, he was called back to the United States Army during the Korean War. Mr. West was stationed in Italy for a brief time, and returned to Kenansville.
Shortly after his return, he was called back to service, and was assigned to Army headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
He married Mary Edna Waters at Kenansville Baptist Church, where he was a lifetime member, and in 1992, received recognition for 30 years of service as church music director.
Henry and Mary Edna built a home in Warsaw in 1954, and began raising their family.
Henry was business minded, and enjoyed working in the meat industry opening West Provision Co., where he spent the next 19 years.
During this time, he enjoyed developing beautiful gardens around the home he and his wife built. Henry had a love for nature and could name almost every tree and plant in the garden.
After his time in the abattoir, Henry embarked on a new entrepreneurial adventure, curing country hams. He and Mary Edna opened Westwater Country Hams in 1971, and he continued to operate until his death with his son-in-law, Bart Smith, curing the best ham around.
After the death of his wife, Mary Edna in 1998, Henry married Joyce Ann Williams of Sarecta.
Traveling to numerous places near and far was always a passion of Mr. West, and they enjoyed almost 20 years together.
Mr. West was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 677 and St. John’s Lodge No. 13 AF and AM for more than 50 years. He received his Diamond Jubilee Award for 50 years of membership.
Mr. West is survived by his wife, Joyce Williams West of Warsaw; children, Tarla West Smith and husband, Bart, of Warsaw, Lisa West of Cary and Amy West Cooke and husband, Ray, of Kenansville; grandchildren, Ryan West Smith and wife, Jennifer, of Salemburg and Meredith and Spencer Cooke of Kenansville; and one great grandson, Weston Gates Smith.
A celebration of life service will be held Friday, May 25, 2018, at Kenansville Baptist Church, with visitation at 1 p.m., and the celebration of life beginning at 2 p.m., followed by interment at Golden Grove Cemetery.
A service of Community Funeral Home of Warsaw.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on May 24, 2018 8:05 AM