Alton Naomi West

Alton Naomi West, age 95, went home to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, July 6, at her home at Willamette Lutheran Retirement Community in Keizer, Oregon.  Naomi was born on August 8, 1922, in Eclectic, Alabama.  She was the second of eight children to her parents Ocie Jordan Spivey and Lula Viola (Thrash) Spivey.  Naomi grew up on a farm in rural Alabama and graduated high school.  During the years of World War II, she worked in the laboratory of the Tallassee cotton mill doing quality control testing.  In 1944 she met Hugh West, the love of her life, at a dance in Columbus, Georgia, where Hugh, a Sargent serving in the U.S. Army, was stationed at Fort Benning.  They were married in December of 1944 and would be married for 47 years until Hugh’s death in 1991.  In the fall of 1945, after Hugh’s honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, they moved to Tustin, California where together they would live their life and raise their children, a daughter, Linda Cheryl West Row and a son, Michael Steven West.  Naomi lived in Tustin for 70 years, and in their home on Theodora Drive for 54 of those years.

Naomi worked for several years as a restaurant manger but in later years found her true calling and passion working as a highly skilled and creative seamstress in home décor.  She loved making beautiful bedspreads and draperies and Naomi worked well into her late 70’s.

Naomi loved to attend school events when Linda and Steve were growing up.   Naomi and Hugh were proud Tustin High School “Tiller Booster Club” members and were regular attendees of football games.

Naomi and Hugh served as adult leaders for Girl Scouts of America and Boy Scouts of America (BSA).  For many years Naomi and Hugh served as the Post Advisors for BSA Explorer Post 33.  Naomi and Hugh loved and were loved by all young people who went through the BSA Explorer Post 33 program.   For years afterwards, they kept track of their “Explorer kids” through weddings, birth announcements, Christmas cards, and visits.

Naomi loved to raise flowers and was especially proud of her roses, hydrangeas, and cymbidium orchids.  Her hydrangeas were so beautiful that Naomi allowed a local Tustin florist to cut them for her business.

What Naomi loved most was her family.  She loved family gatherings with all of Hugh’s extended family who lived in Southern California.  When grandchildren came along, she was a loving, proud and doting grandmother.  She loved making trips to visit Linda’s family in Idaho and later Washington and Steve’s family in Oregon.  Especially after

Hugh’s death in 1991, Naomi also looked forward to annual summer visits of her granddaughters and having special time with them at her home in Tustin.

In 2015 Naomi sold her home in Tustin and moved to Willamette Lutheran Retirement Community (WLRC) in Keizer, Oregon, to be near her family.  She enjoyed living at WLRC where she received wonderful loving care.  Her son Steve visited her every day, and on days when the weather permitted Steve would take her outside to enjoy the beautiful WLRC grounds and gardens. Naomi especially enjoyed visiting WLRC’s three pygmy goats and feeding them treats.  Her favorite activity at WLRC was singing hymns on Sunday afternoon during the music worship service.  Naomi also enjoyed going to the annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in nearby Woodburn, Oregon and the Schreiner’s Iris Garden during the May Iris Festival in Keizer, Oregon.

Naomi was preceded in death by her parents Ocie and Lula Spivey, her husband Hugh Lee West, a brother James Harlan Spivey, and three sisters: Lois Spivey, Edith (Spivey) Richardson O’Leary, and Irene (Spivey) Robins; and son-in-law, Lee Row.  She is survived by her children: daughter Linda (West) Row; son and daughter-in-law Steven and Laura West; her brothers: Roy Spivey and Elmer Spivey; her sister Thelma (Spivey) Murray; three granddaughters: Jaime (Row) Blair and husband Brian; Emily (West) Corsi and her husband Matthew; Erin West and her special friend Robert “Bobby” Horton; and five great-grandchildren: Jade Brown, Journey Blair, Gage Blair, Augustus Corsi, and Henry Corsi as well as many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend a graveside memorial service to celebrate a life well lived to be held on Saturday, August 18, at 10:30 AM at El Toro Memorial Park Cemetery, 25751 Trabuco Road, Lake Forest, California 92630, PH (949) 951-8244.

Those wishing to make a charitable contribution in Naomi’s memory are encouraged to make contributions to: Willamette Lutheran Foundation 501(c)(3), 7693 Wheatland Road N., Keizer, OR 97303-3456, PH (503) 393-1491