Eddie West

Eddie Lavern "Cawpaw" West, 79, of Idaho Falls, passed away February 2, 2019, at his home. He was under the care of his daughter and Encompass Home Health and Hospice.

Eddie was born October 10, 1939, in Lyman, Nebraska, to Edward Lloyd West and Thelma May Margerum West.

He was in the United States Army during the Korean War stationed in Germany. This was where he developed his for the colors – red, white, and blue. He always had some sort of patriotic flag or colors around him.

On November 29, 1969, he married Shirley Evva Derriott in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They were later sealed as a family in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple in 1979. They had two children, Kevin and Dusty.

So how do you begin to describe Cawpaw and his life? Let’s think about a nice humble dog, now put some scruffy hair on that dog. Now think of the persona the dog shows you, amazing regardless of the situation. He was always happy to see you even after a hard lesson was learned. He was always grateful to be with you in the moment. He was eager to see you again despite and differences you might have had with him. Much like that dog.

Eddie and Shirley made their home in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where Eddie worked as a Walmart door greeter for seven years. He always complimented the ladies on their shoes! His love for animals made him a rancher and farmer.

He developed cancer from always being out in the sun. He always shared his sun screen and spare hats when needed. His melanoma turned into cancer that eventually spread throughout his entire body. He had brain surgery and radiation but never let it stop him.

He was always on his scooter, sitting by the river waving to passing cars or just "be-bopping" around town. He went to the coffee shop to catch up on all the gossi. He will be missed by many of his coffee buddies!

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He enjoyed his Tootsie Rolls and always had some to share. He collected miniature cars and trucks. He loved the "littles." He said he always learned something from them. Music was his passion – all kinds. Later, when he lost his hearing, he still listened to his collections daily. Just because he couldn’t hear it, he felt it and made sure others heard and enjoyed!!

When Dusty got married and she and Derec moved away, family and frinds "adopted" Nana and Cawpaw as theirs, so they wouldn’t be lonely. So many "littles" to love. He was known to take the "littles" to the back roads to back roads to let them drive and spin the tires a little. He’d say it was "Ed’s Driving School."

Eddie is survived by his loving wife of almost 50 years, Shirley Evva West of Blackfoot, ID; son, Kevin D. West of Kuna, ID; daughter, Dusty Jean Kulavic of Idaho Falls, ID; sister, Joyce West Keegan of FL; sister, Sharon West Thompson of AR; four grandchildren, Derec, Jae, Deven, and Mark; one great granddaughter, Scarlett; and one on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Thelma West, and brothers, Darold Dean West and Larry Gene West.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, February 23, 2019, from 11:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the LDS church at 12th Street and Southeast Bonneville. Please come dressed casually to say goodbye to "Cawpaw" and help family and friends celebrate his life. Lots of surprises so bring your cameras, pictures and stories to share so we can make a memory book for Nana of all the memories made that day making new friends and reacquainting with old ones.

Some of Cawpaw’s thoughts he always said or talked about at the end: "Death is inevitable yet its one of the hardest things to accept, you never know when you’ll be called home," "Were you selfish enough to have fun? Strong enough to be loved? Kind enough to give? Did you love enough to cry? Did you slow down enough to see the beauty around? Blessed is your life!"

A huge thank you to everyone for their continued support. We love and appreciate you all:

Dr Mark Butler at the IF VA clinic and his staff for treating Dad over the years!

Teton Cancer Institute for the time spent in the mask and a warm blanket!

Kendal and Dyann for coffee when he couldn’t do it by himself!

Celebration of Life

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM ,Saturday, February 23, 2019 LDS Church 1235 Juniper Drive Idaho Falls, ID, Bonneville 83404 Notes: Please come dressed casually to say goodbye to "Cawpaw" and help family and friends celebrate his life. Lots of surprises so bring your cameras, pictures and stories to share so we can make a memory book for Nana of all the memories made that day making new friends and reacquainting with old ones.