Jim West, vice president of JS West Milling Co., died March 13, 2016, at age 81.
West was the grandson and namesake of James Stewart West, who founded the business that became J.S. West & Cos. It originally provided grain and coal and evolved into the egg, feed and propane operations it is today.
West served as president of the Pacific Egg and Poultry Association and chairman of the American Egg Board. He also led the boards of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, Delta Blood Bank, Modesto Junior College Foundation and Modesto Rotary Club and was involved with several other industry and civic groups.
J.S. West employs about 300 people in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada.
West was born in Modesto, California, on January 22, 1935, to Donald and Ruby West. He attended Modesto High School and Menlo Junior College before earning a degree in feed technology at Kansas State University.
West is survived by his wife, Jessie West; two sons, Jason West of St. Louis, and Bill Pereira of Sun Valley, Idaho; three daughters, Janet Griskonis of Ashburn, Virginia, Linda Pereira of Escalon and Nancy Porteous-Thomas of Carmel, California; sister, Victoria Erickson of Aptos; brother, Gary West; and five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The family suggests donations in West’s memory to the National Ag Science Center, Modesto Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army or Gallo Center for the Arts.
