Hamilton Wayne West

Hamilton “Wayne” West, 59, died peacefully on Saturday, July 23, 2022 in his home in Longview, Texas. He was born on December 4, 1962 in Mineola, Texas. 

Wayne graduated from Hallsville High School in 1981. After high school, he began working at West Machine and Tool and in 1998 he became the owner. His passions, besides work, included hunting, fishing, and traveling.

Pulling pranks was another passion of Wayne’s, his son Hunter knows that best. 

“My Dad was definitely a prankster. It felt like no matter the situation, he would always find a way to mess with me. Eventually, I started trying to prank him back which ended up creating a full on prank war. It was always simple pranks, for example, he would wake me up at 5:00 am rubbing my lip with a feather until I inevitably slapped myself in the face, or I would  wrap a rubber band around the sprayer on the sink so when he turned it on he’d get sprayed.”

“I remember his best prank being one day when I’d left the house to hang out with my friends. My truck was still in the driveway, and I guess he couldn’t resist the opportunity to mess with me. He got in my truck and drove it to the pond by our house. He placed it strategically, making it look like it would be super easy to get in and back the truck out. When I got home and realized he’d moved my truck, I remember thinking it was a weak attempt at a prank. As an overconfident 16 year old, I climbed in and put it in reverse not realizing what he’d done. My truck was immediately buried in the mud, and I was stuck. I remember being so embarrassed in front of my friends who then had to help me pull it out with their trucks. Unfortunately, all this did was get their trucks stuck too.  So as a last resort, I went to get the tractor to pull us all out. As I was walking towards the tractor, I looked back at the house where I saw my Dad looking through the window grinning ear to ear, he knew he had won our prank war.”

Wayne is survived by his father, Bill West; significant other, Melinda West; children, Hunter (Katie) West; Jennifer (Chris) Gann; Brady “Dee” (Amanda) Pullen; Wes Pullen; and Josie Edge; brothers, Preston West; and Dale West; sister, Brandi Westring; as well as numerous grandchildren. 

Wayne is preceded in death by his mother, Linda Grimes; Sandra West; and sister, Laura Ball.

The family would like to invite friends for a time of visitation on Thursday, July 28, 2022, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at The Cammack Family - Welch Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Friday, July 29, 2022, at 10:00 am at Sand Springs Cemetery in Mineola, Texas.