Patrick Thomas West
Patrick Thomas West, 68, Oceanside, Calif., died Monday, July 12, 2021, surrounded by family.
Pat was born on August 29, 1952, in Scott City, the 10th of 19 children of Jack H. and Elizabeth J. “Betty” (Kerkoff) West.
He was a graduate of Scott Community High School. He received his Master Plumber License at the age of 18, the youngest in the State of Kansas.
Pat moved to Dodge City and worked for Ross Plumbing and Stewart Plumbing. He met his lifelong soulmate, Debra Wetzel. They were united in marriage on August 4, 1973, in Clayton, N.M., and they celebrated 47 wonderful years of marriage.
Pat was always the quintessential entrepreneur and looking for the next business opportunity. While in Dodge City, he started his own plumbing company, Pat West Plumbing, and obtained the Roto Rooter franchise for the area.
Other businesses he owned included the Opera House, Opera House 21, Rusty Nail, Smuckos, Putt Putt Golf and a car wash/ gas station.
He also enjoyed flipping properties before it was the “in” thing to do.
In 1983, Pat’s family moved to Vista, Calif. There he worked for Budget Plumbing until opening his own company, Discount Plumbing and Heating and a vending company called Pat West Sales.
In 1989, the family moved to Oceanside, Calif. Owning his companies allowed him to spend time with his children, Audrey in softball and Darren in baseball. He loved being able to coach his daughter’s softball teams and even created a traveling team, Elite Softball, that won the Southern California Championship that qualified the team for nationals in 1992.
Pat earned some fun titles over his years in California. Hog calling champion for three years in a row at the Del Mar Fair and Mr. Hot Sauce at a chili cookoff. He was an extra on the television shows 18 Wheels of Justice and Manhattan, Arizona.
When Pat retired from plumbing, he found his true passion - JUNK. He and Debbie loved going to garage sales, estate sales and auctions. What started as a hobby grew into another entrepreneurship, selling their treasure finds on eBay.
He was an avid supporter of the United States, especially our military, and he tried to pay it forward every chance he got. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the WoundedWarriorProject.org.
Survivors include his wife, Debra, Oceanside, Calif.; daughter, Audrey L. Paar and husband, Anthony J., Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; son, Darren A. West and partner, Genessa Smith, Garden City; brothers Arthur J. West and wife, Susie, El Segundo, Calif., David L. West, Vancouver, Wash., Louis P. West, Garden City, and Terry J. West and wife, Beverly, Shallow Water; sisters, Margaret J. Ellison and Elizabeth J. Bradley, Wichita, Martha Jonagan and husband, Dale, Ingalls, Dorotha A. Reynolds, Dodge City, Ruth J. West, Bakersfield, Calif., Kathryn L. Church and husband, Gary, Kansas City, Rebecca S. Morton and husband, Stan, Lawrence, Barbara Betzold and husband, Morris, Hutchinson, and Virginia L. Leonard and husband, Mitch, Dodge City; and three grandchildren, Angelina, Simon and Corbin West, Garden City.
Pat was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Jack West, Mike West and Gene West; and two sisters, Mary Wassinger and Carolyn Hinojosa.