Loving dad dies in crash
Daughter pays tribute
Caring, helpful and knowledgeable are some of the words a daughter has used to describe her late dad after he was tragically killed in a crash in Coolmunda, southwest of Warwick.
Sunshine Coast man Robert ‘Bob’ West was driving home after visiting his son who works at a cattle farm in Texas, when he was involved in the crash which left him with fatal injuries.
Tributes have flowed for the 49-year-old father of two who leaves behind daughter Tayha, 21, and Kai, 19, West.
Describing her late dad as “stereotypical” yet “the most unique person” she knows, Ms West said he was protective, a great storyteller, a questionable dancer and full of puns.
“He was a giant teddy bear, but he always protected us even against the monsters under our bed,” she said.
“Dad always knew how to cheer us up and would give the best hugs.
“There will never be anyone else like him and the world is going to feel a lot colder without his warmth.”
Working as a carpenter for the past three decades, Mr West would always put his skills to use whether it was building his children a bike ramp or cubby house to play in.
“Dad was a great teacher and taught my brother and I how to cook, use power tools, play chess and stand up for ourselves,” Ms West said.
“He made the most of his height by carrying us on his shoulders and taking us for piggyback rides – it felt like we could see the whole world from up there.”
“He was stubborn though – he wouldn’t let anyone help him and never asked for anything in return except to pass his good deed forward and help others … although a carton of beer was always appreciated.”
With many happy memories from her childhood, Ms West said she remembered sitting on roof of her dad’s work trailer and eating mangoes in the summer, before going to the beach to look for tiny ghost crabs at night.
A car racing fanatic, Mr West could be found cheering on the Ford team in his spare time, riding motorbikes, hiking, playing Fallout 4 or watching Doctor Who.
The rock music enthusiast also enjoyed listening to Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC and Pink Floyd.
Ms West said she and her family were devastated by her father’s passing and the pain was “indescribable”.
“It feels like he’s going to come through the door at any moment or we’ll hear the sound of his car,” she said.
“I think I could spend forever waiting for him to come home.
“He touched the lives of everyone around him.”
Mr West’s family have launched a fundraising campaign to help fund Mr West’s funeral and living expenses for his children.
Setting a target of $20,000, the family have so far raised $3000 with donations received from Australia, as well as the United States and United Kingdom. To donate click here – https://gofund.me/4d3ab79c