James Donald Westover

James Donald Westover 1934 - 2016 James Donald Westover, 81, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Thursday, 25 August 2016, at his home in San Luis Obispo, California. He was a humble man whose favorite title was “Father.” He loved, taught, protected, and provided well for his family throughout his life. He will be greatly missed by his ever-increasing posterity. James was the second child and oldest son of Donald Erickson Westover and Louise Solomon, born in Clarkdale, Arizona, and raised in Yuma, Arizona. He attended Yuma Union High School and graduated with the class of 1952. He was voted “Friendliest Boy” by his fellow students. He served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia from 1954 through 1956. He joined the Army National Guard in 1957 and served full-time for 6 months. He attended Arizona State University (ASU) and studied Chemistry. While attending the university, Jim married his sweetheart, DeAnn Hall from Yuma Arizona, on 1 September 1959. He completed his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in chemistry at ASU, then moved his young family to Provo, Utah, in 1961 where he attended Brigham Young University and completed his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1965. That same year his family, now with four children, relocated to Kinston, North Carolina, where he began employment with DuPont, and worked for five years as a research chemist. In 1970 he settled his family in San Luis Obispo, California, where he worked as a professor of chemistry at California Polytechnic State University until his retirement in 1999. He spent his retirement years serving others, doing home-improvement projects, visiting his family, and fishing whenever he could. Together, Jim and DeAnn served missions for their church in Ontario, Canada, and Denver, Colorado. James is survived by his wife DeAnn, and their children Kevin James Westover (Linda) of Orem, Utah; Dawni Jo Haines (Peter) of Chugiak, Alaska; Julie Ann Kilburn (Kurt) of Porterville, California; and Lisa Dee Jarvis (Paul) of Pismo Beach, California. He has 28 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Joan Mooney, Nancy Christensen, Carol Parkin, and brother Bruce. He was preceded in death by his parents and youngest child Cindy Louise. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, 10 September 2016, at the LDS Church at 651 East Foothill Boulevard in San Luis Obispo. Friends are also invited to visit with Jim’s family at the Los Osos Memorial Park on Friday evening, 9 September, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Burial will be at the Los Osos Memorial Park Cemetery.