Hawley E. West

A Celebration of Hawley’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday April 11th at Zion Church of Kurten with Rev. Kevin Boaz officiating. A private family graveside will be held at Kurten Cemetery.

Hawley was born in San Angelo, Texas the son of Herbert DeWitt West and Albina Boriski West on October 9, 1919. He was the oldest of four sons, with brothers Herbert J. West, Wayne G. West and Billy G. West all deceased. Hawley moved to the Bryan area in 1928 and graduated from the Bryan Schools in 1939.

In 1940, Hawley begin working for Lilly Ice Cream Company. On June 28, 1941, he married Helen Stevener and they were married for 67 years, raising three children. Helen passed away April 19, 2008.

A World War II veteran serving on Eniwetok Island and Saipan, his unit was shipped to Iwo Jima as replacements for the 4th Marines who had been the original assault troops on Iwo Jima. His unit was assigned principally to guard the airstrip that was located on Iwo Jima.

After the war, Hawley returned home from the South Pacific in 1946 to resume his career with Lilly Ice Cream becoming a part of the sales team. After several years with the sales group, he became general manager of sales, production and distribution for Lilly. In November of 1979 he became involved in the sale of Lilly Ice Cream to the Southland Corporation. His group was then assigned to the Oak Farms Division and this is where Hawley continued to work through December 1982 and finished his career overseeing the Corpus Christi area.

Hawley is a member of Zion Church of Kurten where he served as church council member, board of elders and various other positions through the years.

Hawley is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth and Gail West of Boerne, Texas; daughter Beverly Whitehead and husband Leon of Canyon Lake, Texas; son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Janie West of Kurten; sisters-in-law, Frankie West Davis of Houston, Texas, Valeria West of Horseshoe Bay, Texas and Irene Stevener of Bryan; grandchildren, Sherry Vireck and husband Eric, Kenneth West Jr. and wife Catherine, Kelly Gilmore and husband Brett, Leisha Alexander and husband Phillip, Larry West Jr. and wife Tracie, and Holly Wolfe and husband Wes; great-grandchildren, Brandon and Shelby Vireck, Ethan and Allison West, Corbyn and Skylar Gilmore, Beau and Grace Alexander, Tatum and Walker West, and Hudson and Hamilton Wolfe.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Zion Church of Kurten Expansion Fund or to a charity of Choice.