Gwendolyn West

Gwendolyn West was born on February 20, 1945 in Detroit, Mich., the first of three children born to Roy Lee and Eddythe Mae Dixon. She grew up in Detroit and finished high school when she was fifteen. She attended Western College for Women (now a part of Miami University of Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio and majored in political science. There she met and later married Dave R. West, the father of her two children, Miles and Shannon. The young family moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor, Mich.; Allentown, Penn.; and Tallahassee, Fla. before settling in Randallstown, Md. In 1977, the Wests were among the first Black families to live in Randallstown. Gwen loved her home and her neighborhood and felt that it was an ideal place to raise a family. After divorcing, Gwen worked hard to maintain her home and to support and educate her children. Professionally, Gwen primarily worked in the social services and non-profit arenas. She served as program coordinator of the Negro Cultural Center in Allentown, program director of Allen Center in South Baltimore, director of Forest Park Senior Center in West Baltimore, and field director of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Fulfilling her life long dream, in 2001 Gwen was able to earn a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix in organizational management. Her next position before retiring in 2010 was contract specialist for the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development for Baltimore. Church was an important part of Gwen’s life . She was a member of Union Bethel A.M.E. Church in Randallstown for more than 30 years. During that time she served as part of the Lay Organization. Throughout her life, Gwen always had diverse interests and talents. She was an excellent seamstress and tailor and made many of her own and her family’s clothes. She even made her own wedding dress. It was common for her to start sewing clothes in the evening for her children to wear to school the very next day. Gwen was also an excellent baker and developed a business called Spirited Desserts. Her rum cake and her limoncello-infused lemon meringue cake will surely be missed. Gwen also made a mean margarita! Gwen enjoyed traveling and was always ready to go. Her most memorable trips included cruises to the Mediterranean and Alaska and tours of Iceland and South Africa. Her last trip was a jazz cruise in the Caribbean with her sister, an experience that allowed her to combine her love of jazz and travel. Gwen also loved spending time at the beach with family and friends. Upon retirement, Gwen became everyone’s favorite “Avon Lady.” She used her position as a sales leader to keep active and connect with the community. She also volunteered at different cultural events and was a member of the Red Hat Society. Gwen will be remembered for her love of life, her great sense of humor, and her hats, which were her crowning glory. Gwen lived a full life and, after a brief illness, transitioned on July 29, 2020. Gwendolyn West is survived by her son, Miles R. West, and daughter, Shannon L. West, M.D.; grandson, Jordan J. West; sister, Audrey D. Settle; brother and sister-in law, Lloyd A. and Debra Dixon; brothers-in-law Richard West (Eloise) and Roland West (Yvonne); sister-in-law, Patricia Chapman (Semue); and many relatives and friends.

Tributes

Gwendolyn West

February 20, 1945 - July 29, 2020