George Allen West

George Allen West, 91, passed away peacefully in his home on October 14, 2026. Known as Allen to his family and George to his colleagues, he was born on February 10, 1935, in Snyder, Texas, to George Lee West and Vera Daniel West. Allen spent most of his formative years in Baytown, Texas, where he attended Robert E. Lee High School. A well-rounded student, he played in the Gander band and served as president of the history club. In his senior year, he made the focused decision to step away from extracurricular to dedicate himself entirely to his studies. His hard work paid off, earning him a scholarship to Rice University. In 1954, he married his high school sweetheart Joyce Ann Pauler, and over the next eight years they welcomed four rambunctious children. Upon graduating from Rice in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, George began a distinguished 36-year career with Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company. Starting as a chemist at the Baytown refinery, a series of promotions took his family across the country, leading them to homes in Hawthorne, New York; Westminster, California; and Odessa, Texas, before finally bringing them back to East Texas to settle in the Humble-Kingwood area. In 1977, he married Jean Neva (Braus), blending their lives and welcoming six stepchildren into a bustling family of ten kids between the ages of 10 and 20. Together they raised show Pomeranian’s, traveled the world and spent many hours entertaining friends and family. George retired from Shell in 1993 as the manager of residual fuels. Throughout his decades with the company, he amassed a wealth of lifelong friends, including a special group of carpool buddies who shared the Monday-through-Friday commute for over twenty years. An adventurer at heart, George Allen loved to explore. His travels spanned from early family road trips across the country to national parks in a pop-up camper, to later years filled with snow skiing, hiking, and sightseeing around the world. He lived by the motto, “It’s the things you see and the places you go that make life enjoyable.” Closer to home, he relaxed by fishing in the beach surf and playing golf, famously hitting two holes-in-one at Kingwood Country Club. He also possessed a sharp sense of humor, often joking that he started smoking cigars and a pipe at the age of 12, but "never inhaled." Always a gentleman, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 37 years, Jean Neva West; his son, Anthony Kirk West; stepson, John Braus and great grandson Dalton. He leaves behind a legacy of adventure, dedication, and a large, loving family including his sister June West Shaar (Roger Holcombe) of Atascocita, TX; son Mark West of Davie, FL; daughters Kelly Baker (Micky) of Robert Lee, TX; Robyn Grindel (Mark) of The Woodlands, TX; step-children Joan Regnier (Steve) of Horseshoe Bay, TX; Sharon Stryjewski (Michael) of Kingwood, TX; Paula Meyers (Gene) of Horseshoe Bay, TX; David Braus of Lincoln, TX; Linda Antcliff (Chris) of El Paso, TX; he is also survived by grandchildren Jordan Alexander, Katherine Antcliff, Matthew Antcliff, Amanda Attaway, Jacob Baker, Karen Cecalek, Elizabeth Colville, Jamie Fleck, Michael Grindel, Lauren Simpson, Danielle Spake, Laura Stryjewski; Leah Stryjewski and Lisa Stryjewski. He also has numerous great-grandchildren. A private family gathering has been planned to celebrate George Allen’s life.