Edith Inez West

Edith Inez Gore West, born October 28, 1933, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on January 17, 2026. Though cancer caused her death, her illness was like a period at the end of a sentence- it came at the end but had no part in her 92-year story.

A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at Memorial Baptist Church, 6901 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, Texas. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be served immediately after the service in the fellowship hall. A private family burial will take place at 3:00 p.m. at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston, Texas.

The only child of parents, Lester Clayton Gore and Lois Lea Pratt Gore, Edith’s childhood was full of travel as her Dad’s work on major construction projects took her and her parents to many US cities, primarily in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. When projects ended, Pasadena was always home base. Edith finished high school in Albion, Oklahoma when her parents moved there to try cattle ranching. There she met and married Herman Howdeshell of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma in May 1952. Sharon Lea was born in 1957 and Lanita Mae in 1958. After 10 years of marriage and an amicable divorce, Edith and the girls move back to Pasadena. She worked briefly for Pasadena ISD and then spent 27 years at Champion Paper, retiring in 1994.

Edith married Clark J. (Bud) West in 1972. Blending their families was easy since they had known each other for many years. After Bud’s death in 2004, Edith filled her time with church activities, art lessons, bridge, and bunco. She perfected her bread pudding and berry cobbler recipes and got to make desserts monthly for a men’s group until the age of 90. She enjoyed many trips with her cousin Kay to places like Greece, Russia, China, and Israel. Above all, her greatest joy was time spent with her “heartbeats”—her four grandchildren—and later, the blessing of meeting her great-grandchildren.

A devoted daughter, mother, and grandmother, Edith was preceded in death by her parents, husband Clark J. West, and three of his children, Gary, Greg, and Mary West. She is also preceded by her precious grandson 1st Lt. Kile G. West, killed in Iraq, and her precious great-granddaughter Annie June Bristow.

Survivors include her daughters, Sharon (Mike) Hovendick and Lanita (Herb) Bristow; grandchildren Michael (Cambry) Bristow, Daniel Bristow, Lee (Grace) Bristow, and Meredith (Tom) Morton; great grandchildren Lincoln, Lenabell, and Myles Bristow, and Shepherd Morton.

Dear to her heart was Bud’s family, whom she made her own. She embraced her role as “Memi” grandmother and great-grandmother with joy, delighting in: Gary and Becky’s children, Rick West and Kim Berg, and her children Avery and Taylor; Greg’s daughters, Brittney and her children Brayden, Gage, Cali, and Anniston; and Whittney West-Provost and her children Hayden and Mikaela; Grady (Sherry Martin) and his children Kelli (Bruce) Anderson with children Boe and Charlie, Kara (Brandon) Belmarez with children Aria, Anya, and Ayla, and son Carter West; and David Glen West.

Most important to Edith were faith in God and Jesus Christ. She was a lifetime member of Memorial Baptist Church. Edith lived to give! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Samaritan’s Purse or Project Joy and Hope of Pasadena, Texas.