Frances Bernedette West

Frances Bernadette West (nee McNicholl), age 85 of Wayne, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday January 17, 2020.

Frances was born on February 11, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York and was one of five children to John and Ellen McNicholl.  When Frances was a young girl, she and her family returned to Ireland for a time, returning to the United States after the Second World War.

After meeting Arthur West of the Bronx, NY, at a dance, the young couple married on November 16, 1957. They began their married life in Metuchen, NJ, and then moved to Little Falls where they welcomed their first child, Kevin. In the mid-1960’s, they moved to Wayne, where they then also raised their next two children, Darren and Janine, remaining there for the rest of their lives. Arthur and Frances enjoyed 47 years of marriage until Arthur’s passing in 2004.

In 1974, Frances was offered a position at the Wayne-based paper manufacturing company, Union Camp. While there, Frances had various secretarial responsibilities until 1982, when she was promoted to Fleet Manager, a position she held for the rest of her career.  Frances worked for Union Camp until her retirement in 1996.

Frances was a devout Catholic who attended church daily at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church and Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wayne. All who knew her would agree that her greatest passions were her faith and her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sibling, aunt and friend, who loved gardening, decorating, and hosting family and friends at her home and pool during summers and holidays.  Her happiest moments included knowing her children and grandchildren were happy, well and loved. She will be remembered lovingly as a wise and understanding person who was kind, inclusive and always made people feel welcome. Her loving heart, intelligence, and warm personality will most certainly live on in her children and grandchildren.

Frances is survived by her two sons, Kevin West of Bushkill, PA, and Darren West and his wife Sharon of Wayne; her daughter, Janine Latz and her husband Glen of Norwood; her sister Mary Ralph of Wayne, her brother John B. McNicholl of Las Vegas, NV, and seven grandchildren, Kyle, Shane, Aidan and Holly Latz of Norwood, Dean West of Wayne, Kathryn Moore and her husband David of High Bridge, Dana West of PA, and her great grandchild, Alexandra Moore.  She is predeceased by her husband Arthur, as well as her siblings, Patrick and Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Frances' name may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.http://www.stjude.org