JOHN DAVID WEST
1938-2020
John David West, age 81, of Houston, Texas, passed away peacefully on Saturday, the 30th of May 2020, after a brief illness.
John West was born in Waco and grew up in Corpus Christi where he spent his early years until graduating from Sundeen High School in 1956. He was a star athlete in both high school and college. His exceptional basketball talents made him a sought-after basketball player from several universities. John attended Del Mar Junior College, where he excelled at both academics and basketball. After 2 years, John would eventually accept a basketball scholarship from Baylor University where he played center for the Baylor Bears.
After graduating from Baylor University in 1962, John married Charlotte Kay Cross of Waco. In the fall of 1964, John and his young family settled in Houston where he started his physical therapy career at Shamrock Physical Therapy, Inc. In 1966, John acquired the company for which he worked, which then made his company the first independently owned and operated physical therapy clinic in the Houston area.
John West’s physical therapy clinic, called Rehabilitation Services of Houston, was located in the Texas Medical Center for 35 years; before moving to its present location in River
Oaks. John was a pioneer and innovator in physical therapy by developing treatment protocols, which were adopted by many other physical therapists. Given the passionate dedication to his patients, he gained an outstanding reputation and was tremendously respected by the medical community as a visionary in the field of physical therapy. His reputation for outstanding professional excellence and service became a standard which younger physical therapists would strive to emulate.
During 58 years of dedicated service, John’s healing touch improved the lives of thousands of people from the community. He treated generations of Houstonians from all walks of life; as well as many others from around the country. His dedication through hard work and helping others, inspired countless others to achieve success. He treated all those who worked for him as if they were his family. John’s generosity paved the way for many of those on his staff to realize their dreams becoming successful in the field of physical therapy.
His family, friends and staff will remember his wise advice, always with a touch of mirth: Always hold your cards close to your vest and never let them see you sweat.
While John West’s dedication to his patients dominated his professional life, he was also a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who loved taking his family on travels all over the world as well as driving vacations all over the U.S. Not only was John an experienced traveler, he was also well versed in Texas history, an outdoorsman, an avid hunter, skilled snow skier, a passionate organic gardener, loving father, and grandfather. Although his travels took him all over the world, the place that gave him the most enjoyment in his later years was his ranch in Beeville, Texas, where he spent much time cooking and entertaining for his friends and family.
John West is survived by his son, John West; daughter, Terri West; grandchildren, Jonathan West, David
West, and Hannah West; sister, Devah Lebowitz; and brother, Martin West. John is preceded in death by his parents Martin & Nina West, and his beloved dog, Holly.
The family wishes to thank the attending physicians, nurses, and caregivers for providing excellent care.
Arrangements for a celebration of his life at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons are pending and will be announced at a later date.
Please visit Mr. West’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family. There you may also opt to receive updated service information by selecting the “Receive Notifications” icon.
John West will be sorely missed by all those whose lives he touched. His dedication to his family, friends, and patients, along with his terrific sense of humor made John a joy to know.