Robert Dr. Van Osdell West, Jr.

Bob West was born in Kansas City, Missouri on April 29, 1921 and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bob attended Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin 1942 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He also earned a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1943.

He then became a refinery engineer for Humble Oil, now Exxon Mobil, at the Humble refinery in Baytown, Texas. He returned to The University of Texas in 1947 to earn a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Petroleum Engineering. After completing his Ph.D. program, Bob was hired by the legendary Tom Slick in 1949 to work as an engineer for the Slick-Urschel Oil Company in Midland, Texas.

In 1950, Bob West moved to San Antonio, Texas and in 1956 he was named President of Slick Secondary Recovery Corporation. Bob was later named President of Texstar Petroleum Company, a conglomeration of Tom Slick's diverse investments and oil and gas properties.

After the death of Tom Slick in 1962, Bob put together a financing package to purchase the oil and gas properties of Texstar Petroleum Company. It is with these properties and other acquisitions that Bob West founded Tesoro Petroleum Corporation in 1964. He served as Tesoro's Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer until his retirement in 1992. Tesoro became the first San Antonio-based company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Although Dr. West will be remembered for his many business accomplishments throughout his 28-year career with Tesoro, Bob was particularly proud of the discovery of the Bob West Field in 1990, one of the largest gas field discoveries in the last 30 years. The significance of the gas discovery in Zapata and Starr Counties of South Texas was obviously an important discovery for Tesoro, however, the fact that his geologists named the enormous gas discovery the Bob West Field, gave him a great sense of pride.

Bob West was a brilliant businessman and entrepreneur and a strong business leader with enormous dedication, a high sense of purpose and with great vision and energy that resonated throughout the San Antonio community and many regions of the world.

Bob was a deeply spiritual man who possessed incredible courage, perseverance and integrity. Bob West was a member of the Board of Directors of Frost National Bank of San Antonio, Texas and an Emeritus member of the Board; a Director of the American Petroleum Institute and the Independent Petroleum Association of America in Washington D.C.; a Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in San Antonio and Austin; a member of the National Petroleum Council in Washington, D.C.; a senior member of the Engineering Foundation Advisory Council, a member of the Centennial Commission, a recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award of the College of Engineering, Texas Ex of the Year Award in 1994, and a member of the President's Associates at The University of Texas at Austin. He was a member of the Development Board of the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center; an Associate member for the Board of Visitors of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas; a recipient of the Significant Sig award presented by the National Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity in 1979; a member of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Council of the School of Business and Administration of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas; a founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Caribbean/Latin American Action in Washington D.C.

In 1991, for his efforts on behalf of the peoples of the Caribbean and Latin America, Bob received the Golden Star of the Caribbean Award and was designated the "Caribbean Man of the Year". He was also a Trustee of the Americas Society in New York, NY; founder and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tiwanaku Archaeological Foundation, La Paz, Bolivia.

Bob was a Chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Board of Trustees of the City Public Service Board of San Antonio; the State Finance Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 1972 to 1976; a Vestry Man and Senior Warden of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in San Antonio; a Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Symphony; the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Luke's Lutheran Hospital Foundation; a member and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center of San Antonio, Texas; a member of the All-American Wildcatters; he was Chairman of the Board of Trustees, General Campaign Chairman of the United Way, and a former Trustee of the Southwest Research Institute.

He was a recipient of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award in 1990 by United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, Texas; among many other awards Bob received during his lifetime, he received the People of Vision Award presented by the San Antonio Chapter of the Prevention of Blindness in 1982; the International Citizen's Award presented by the World Affairs Council of San Antonio in 1986; a recipient of the Good Scout Award presented by the Boy Scouts of San Antonio in 1987; and a recipient of the Herman W. Lay Memorial Award presented by the Association of Private Enterprise of Education in 1986.

Bob West was preceded in death by his parents, Robert V. West, Sr. and Josephine Quistgaard West, his brother James Quistgaard West, his former wife and mother of his children, Sybil Small West and their infant son, Thomas James West.

He is survived by his loving wife of 28 years, Helen West. He is also survived by his

son, Dr. Robert V. West III, his three daughters, Kathryn West Moser; Suzanne West Cavender and husband, Rick; and Patricia West Halliday and husband, Ken. He will be greatly missed by his most important legacies, his six grandchildren; Courtney West Cavender, Elizabeth Lyne Moser, Phillip West Halliday, Suzanna Claire Cavender, Sybil Felice Halliday and Kathryn Olivia Moser.

The Reverend Dr. Malcolm Ellis and the Reverend Dr. Walter Prehn, III will officiate the service. Honorary Pallbearers will be: Mr. Glenn Biggs, Mr. Z. David Bonner, Mr. Edward V. Cheviot, Mr. Jim Dement, Mr. Peter M. Detwiler, Mr. Kenneth N. Durham, Mr. George H. Ensley, Mr. Tom C. Frost, Dr. Ruskin C. Norman, Dr. Spencer A. Rowland, Mr. J. Burleson Smith, Mr. James F. Smith and Mr. Arnold Swartz.

In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Lone Star Chapter, 8620 North New Braunfels, Suite 110, San Antonio, Texas 78217, tele: 210 829-7267 or the charity of your choice.