Mary West

Mary B. West, 88, of LeClaire, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at Manor Care Utica Ridge in Davenport.

Funeral Services & Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at Our Lady of the River Catholic Church in LeClaire where she was a member.  Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home.  A Christian Wake Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday  at the funeral home.  Burial will be held in Davenport Memorial Park.  Memorials may be made to Our Lady of the River Catholic Church.

Mary was born December 21, 1924 in Camden, New Jersey, the daughter of Jack & Winnie (Gallagher) McHale.  She was united in marriage to Robert G. West in October of 1943 in Catherine, Missouri.  They later relocated to Princeton, Iowa.

Family was always Mary’s first love.  She made sure that the grandchildren got to know all of the extended family.  She always planned an annual camping trip to Hurdland, Missouri where the kids swam, fished and made wonderful memories with their grandmother, cousins, aunts & uncles.  She also made many trips out East with her grandchildren to Philadelphia, New York or New Jersey.

Mary always had her camera, snapping photos and capturing those special moments.  Mary was a very giving person to her family, full of compassion, patience and wisdom.  She also enjoyed collecting stamps & coins.

Mary was employed with Y & S Candies in Moline, Illinois.  She was hired as a cost clerk retiring as an office manager in 1989 after twenty-two years when the facility was closed by the Hershey Chocolate Company.  She would say how she missed the smell of licorice as she drove over the bridge into Moline.  When visiting her you could always get your chocolate fix because of her loyalty to Hershey.

Those left to honor her memory include her sons and daughters-in-law, Bob & Sheryn West of LeClaire, John & Peg West of Elvira, Iowa; her daughter-in-law, Deb West of LeClaire; and Jeff & Stacy West of Pleasant Valley, Iowa;  her grandchildren, Tonya (Tim) Young of LeClaire, Joe and Ben West of Elvira, Neil (Tammy) West of LeClaire, Ryan (Lisa) West of LeClaire, Brad (Becky) West of LeClaire and Bryan West of Pleasant Valley; her great-grandchildren, Kyler & Kobe West and Owen & Olivia Young; and a special cousin, Jim McBride of Clementon, New Jersey.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Mike West; her grandsons, Jason West and Sean West; her sister, Winnie Walker; her brothers, Jack McHale and Jimmy McHale; and her nephew, Bud Walker.

Mary’s family would like to thank the staffs of Manor Care Utica Ridge and Genesis Hospice, particularly Wendy & Mary Jo for all their care during this time.