Carol Sue West

Carol West went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 23, 2025, after a long illness. She was born on February 14, 1938 in Siloam Springs, Arkansas to P. Warwick and Mary Jo Brandon. Her family moved to East Texas few years later where she met her future husband, Oran West Jr., at Henderson High School. They both finished degrees at North Texas University with Carol earning her degree in education and music.

Carol and Oran married in September 1958 and moved to Oak Cliff, Texas. There they entered the work and life of a typical young couple until they heard about the many people groups who still did not have God’s Word in their language. Their hearts were challenged. They responded to God’s call to dedicate their lives to the mission of making the Scriptures accessible to all. This deep conviction led them to join Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1965, where they went on to serve faithfully for 43 years.

Carol and Oran began their work in Guatemala in 1967 after completing language training in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1972, Oran was called to the home office in Southern California to assist with finance, while Carol took on multiple roles: working in the office, teaching piano to colleagues’ children, helping colleagues home on furlough, and raising her own kids—all with grace and dedication.

In 1990, they moved to Texas to care for Carol’s aging parents. She served in Wycliffe’s Southwest Regional Office, and later, in 1999, supported Oran as Center Director of the International Linguistics Center in Dallas, organizing office operations and community events.

When The Seed Company relocated to Arlington in 2003, Carol became assistant to the ministry’s president. Over the following years, Carol and Oran’s partnership served as a very effective team in their last assignment with Wycliffe in which their vast array of friendships brought the work of Bible Translation to countless business leaders which became a valuable resource to the ministry.

Though retired from Wycliffe in December 2008, Carol with Oran stayed active in the International Students Ministry at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, the La Vina ministry in Guatemala and Carol’s music ministry in church and the Silver Serenaders.

Carol was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was especially well known for her ministry of hospitality, for her music ministry of both playing and teaching piano and harp, for taking groups on Vision Tours for Wycliffe to Guatemala and Peru, and for her passion to help her elderly friends.

After her beloved Oran passed away in December 2017, Carol continued to seek ways to serve God until her health declined. She is survived by her four children, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, sister-in-law Leatrice Brandon, two nieces, a nephew and cousins. Her life was a testimony of love, service and faith.

In leu of flowers, the family wishes memorial contributions be made towards the production of the Deditos video series, being produced for children around the world. Donations can be made here: https://deditos.org/en/donate If making an online donation, add a note under “additional information.” if donating via check, write on the memo line: “For Viña Association in memory of Carol West.”