Barbara Jean West

Barbara Jean West, 80, of Bellaire, passed away at home on February 2, 2023. Barbara was born in Gladwin, Michigan on September 18, 1942 to John and Vera (Kelly) Maxwell.

 

Barb held a long career as a tax accountant but she was so much more than that.  She delighted in creating arts and crafts to sell at craft shows in the summers and always had handmade gifts for her children, grandchildren, and friends.  The abundance of blankets Barb crocheted will be donated to the Moms and Tots organization in Bellaire in her name.  

 

Barb enjoyed vacationing in Jamaica where the sun kept the sand warm and the summers long.  There were more than a couple of hurricanes she endured on the island which had us worried she would be swept out to sea.  There was that one time a wily wave leapt out of the sea to snatch her with her beach chair and novel.  It took two strong men and a small boy to get her out of the high sea.  

 

She was eager to share stories about how proud she was of her three children: Michael as an engineer and minister; Shelly for her art and her adventurous spirit; and Brian for serving his country in the United States Navy before stepping into his remarkable career in avionics tech. 

 

To her, a backyard barbecue wasn’t complete without a rare steak, a crackling bonfire, and an Appleton’s rum and coke in her hand.  

 

Barbara Jean West is survived by: two children, Shelly (Richard Rice) West of Milford, Ohio and Brian (Heidi) West of Phoenix, Arizona; brother, Philip Maxwell of Beaverton, Michigan and sister, Paulette Maxwell of Albuquerque, New Mexico; her grandchildren, Kristina, Mitch, Danielle, Kathleen, Amanda, Lauren, and Patrick, and seventeen great-grandchildren.

Preceding Barbara in death are her parents, John and Vera Maxwell, and her son, Michael (Angie) West. 

 

Memorial Contributions in Barbara’s honor can be made to the Antrim County Commission on Aging - https://www.govpaynow.com/gps/user/cyg/plc/a001rt

 

Arrangements are in the care of the Bellaire Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.