Donald Duane West

Donald Duane West, known to many as Barney, 87, of LeRoy, Illinois, formerly of Rock Falls, Illinois, went to be with the Lord on Friday, April 24, 2020.

There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, Moline, under the direction of Cremation Society of the Quad Cities. Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

He was born February 21, 1933, in Arrowsmith, Illinois, to Ivan and Eva (Builta) West. He graduated from Arrowsmith High School in 1951. He joined the U.S. Army in 1952, served in the Korean War (SCAR-WAF), and in 2013 went on the Honor Flight. He married his sweetheart, Donnabelle West, who he met in Sunday School, on April 6, 1952.

He attended Western Illinois University and graduated with a degree in Education. He taught high school math at Brimfield, Saybrook, Shabbona and Rock Falls. He was an educator for 37 years. He loved coaching. His career in coaching at Rock Falls High School was football, boys and girls basketball, golf and baseball. His proudest coaching accomplishment was in 1972-1973, when his boys basketball team went undefeated with a 23-0 record.

He enjoyed playing golf, hunting with his dogs, watching the Fighting Illini, and was a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan.

He is survived by his wife, Donnabelle; four children, Steve (Julie) West of Phoenix, Arizona, Jane (Randy) Nason of Waynesville, Ohio, Stan West of LeRoy, and Jill (Terry) Steenken of Brooksville, Kentucky; grandchildren, Matt (Amy) West, Stephanie (Nick) Fordham, Natalie (David) DeStefano, Alicia (Dave) Mujica, Nicole (Chris) Minnick, Ben West, Nick West, John West, Jeremy Brown, Jackson Brown, and Jenna Brown; and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Wilbur West, a sister, Louise Lay; and a grandson, Jacob Nason.