FARMINGTON – Jean L. West, RN, 89, of Farmington, formerly of Dixfield, died Sunday afternoon, Sept. 20, 2009 at Franklin Memorial Hospital.
She was born on Sept. 17, 1920 in Concord, Mass., a daughter of Harry and Gladys (Woodbury) Leighton. She was a 1938 graduate of Dixfield High School, was a member of the Rumford Community Hospital School of Nursing in 1942 and in 1944 graduated from Baylor School of Nursing in Texas. She was employed as an occupational Health Nurse at Diamond International and Boise Cascade, retiring in 1982.
She married Joseph West, Jr. in 1946 in Farmington; he died in 1992.
She served on the school board for four years for the Town of Dixfield. Jean enjoyed reading and working on the NY Times crossword puzzles and in her free time was a regular volunteer at the Ludden Library in Dixfield. She also enjoyed writing, cooking, tending to her flowers and watching and keeping accurate score of the Boston Red Sox games. She was devoted to the Dixfield community and in addition to volunteering her time to the library and school, she could often be found helping the elderly with their medical care or encouraging the families and youngsters in the neighborhood to come over for a swim in her pool. Wherever Jean was, you were sure to find that her favorite felines would be close by. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and was proud of the accomplishments and bright futures of her grandchildren.
Her family is appreciative of the kind and caring staff at Pinewood Terrace where she made her home for the past four years.
She is survived by two sons: James West and his wife, Susan of Standish and Steven West and his wife, Karen of Farmington; grandchildren: Laura, Kevin, Alexandra, Matthew, Marina and Hannah. She was predeceased by a son, David J. West; a brother, William Leighton and a sister Dorothy L. Worthley.
Family and friends are invited to a memorial visitation on Friday evening, Sept. 25 from 5-7 PM at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Rd., (Rtes. 2 & 27) Farmington. Private burial services for her children and grandchildren at Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Augusta. Those who desire may give remembrance gifts to either the Ludden Library 40 Main St. Dixfield, Me. 04224 or to the Pinewood Terrace Activities Program, 136 Rosewood Drive Farmington, ME. 04938. Condolences may be sent via e-mail to her family at info@wilesrc.com.
