William Kenneth West, Kenny Boy, Big West, Coach West, BCDub (Big Coach West), Ken, Pa, Dad was a good, good man. The statement, “he was a good man,” has never been truer.
Born in a hospital in 1934 in Stamford, Texas, after complications during a home delivery, Dewey and Ila Bell West brought their first of three sons back home to the farming community of Leuders, Texas. Two brothers would follow, and a bond that lasted a lifetime would never be broken. Kenneth, Donald, and Royce took their modest upbringing and formed it into great success stories of faith, love, and family.
An avid FFA member, talented football player, and all-around great guy, this Stamford Bulldog excelled! The new Football Coach, Gordon Wood, saw Senior Kenneth West in the local grocery store and talked him into playing after a prior decision to stop playing to help his family make ends meet. In spite of working multiple jobs to meet family financial responsibilities, Kenneth played football in his Senior year. He played at such a level that Coach Wood made it known that he had a chance to play in college. Coach Wood told him he could get a scholarship, and Kenneth changed his mindset at that moment. At the January Football banquet, the speaker was the head coach at Texas Western (UTEP of today), and he offered him a scholarship right there. More opportunities were offered after that, and he decided on Hardin Simmons College, a D-1 college in the Border Conference of 1952, because of the proximity to Stamford and an active ROTC program. Coach Sammy Baugh welcomed him to the Cowboy Football team, and he was a mighty offensive and defensive lineman for the program. He earned All-Border Conference Lineman recognition and played in the College All-Star game in Arizona. His skills on the gridiron eventually earned him a 2001 induction into the Hardin Simmons University Hall of Fame. In addition to football, the Hardin Simmons ROTC program was important to Kenneth during the Korean War, allowing him to finish his college education uninterrupted and establish him as an officer before being deployed to war. Upon graduation and football being completed, the Korean War had ended, and he entered his active duty at Fort Bliss, El Paso. After his duty, he returned home to Stamford, and Coach Wood informed him he was leaving Stamford after two state championships and accepting the head coaching job at Victoria, Texas.
In 1958, already successful Coach Wood asked Kenneth to teach and coach the Victoria Stingarees. He started at the Junior high, and a student in his class invited him to dinner with his family and said, “Oh, by the way, I have an older sister.” Mrs. Craigen’s food was delicious, and the lovely lady across the table became his wife six months later. Shirley and Kenneth began their coaching journey in Victoria and, after two years, moved to Brady, Texas, in 1960. In 1961, their coaching journey led them to Coleman, Texas, where their first son, Gordon Glen West, was born. In 1963, Coach Wood asked his former player, Coach West, to join him again, this time on the Brownwood Lions football staff. Along with an all-star staff and extraordinary players, the Brownwood Lions went on to win state in 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1978, and 1981. In the height of all the football success, another victory was achieved when Georgia Kay West was born in 1968.
The Brownwood Lions were blessed with Coach West on the football field and on the track. He was the head track coach from 1967 to 1983. His teams were District champions 13 of the 17 years he coached, and his teams had many state qualifiers. Coach West’s success was acknowledged at the local and state levels. He served THSCA as a Board of Director in 1976 through 1978. He was inducted into the Gordon Wood Hall of Honor in 2014. In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.
After the 1984 football season, Coach West took on a new role as the high school principal. He led the staff with steadiness, encouragement, a positive attitude, and a genuine belief in each teacher and student. He served in this role from 1985 to 1993. He loved saying, “I walked through the same front doors for 30 years at Brownwood High School.”
For 55 years, Kenneth and Shirley treasured long-time friendships and family, and cultivated meaningful relationships within their school, coaching staff, community, family, and churches. They were active members of Central United Methodist Church, Lake Brownwood Methodist Church, and First United Methodist Church. Kenneth began a Bread Ministry that was known and loved by many citizens who may have needed an invitation to church or a prayer upon receiving a warm loaf of bread at their front door. Eventually this ministry would be named the Kenneth West Bread Ministry. Family was a priority – always. They were known in both of their children’s communities of Kennedale, Kemp, and Brenham. Their son and daughters’ families were their most prized possessions, and the miles on their van proved it. Never missing a football game in Brenham, a volleyball or basketball game in Kennedale or Brenham, a beach trip to Seaside, a grandparents day in a classroom, an awards program at school or cheer camp, or a themed birthday party of any kind, the dynamic duo, Gigi and Pa, blessed their son and daughter and their spouses and their four young granddaughters, Gracie, Gretchen, Darby, and Haley with their time and love.
After losing Shirley to cancer, Kenneth was blessed with a new love, Claudette Clark Womack. At the sign up for the Kenneth West Bread Ministry, Claudette and Kenneth found a common love for serving others, and their friendship grew into a 9-year marriage filled with a new life of football, volleyball, basketball, and track meets for Claudette, and music concerts across Texas for Kenneth. Both enjoyed meeting their new families and blessing grandchildren and great-grandchildren with their time and love. Claudette brought great joy to Kenneth in his later years and extended his zeal for living. They kept the tradition of serving others with volunteer work at the elementary schools and at First United Methodist Church.
Kenneth, Coach West leaves this earth to join his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He faithfully bowed his head in prayer and immersed himself in the Bible daily. The Word of God shaped his decisions and the way he lived. His love, respect, and tenderness to all people of every kind were truly driven by God. Many would say they were better people for just spending time with Kenneth West.
He leaves behind his spouse, Claudette Womack West; Daughter, and Son-in-Law, Kay and Dan Parish; Son, and daughter-in-law, Glen and Julie West; granddaughters, spouses, and great-grandsons, Gracie and Michael Buro (Hank and Sam), Gretchen and Erik Yeager (Griffith), Darby and Colton McCoy, and Haley and Jagr Clift.
Claudette’s children and their spouses, Amy and Derrick Boscamp, Tres and Jennifer Womack, Tim and Brita Womack, Drew and Tara Womack, Wendy and Marco Quesada and 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
Nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law of his late brothers Donald and Royce West.
Pallbearers
Kevin Gabaree, Mike Kinsey, Rick Baron, Val Rhoads, Raul Mosqueido, Royce Blackburn, Colt Carlisle, Jan Brown, Jimmy Carmichael
Honorary Pallbearers
Former Brownwood Coaches
DQ Coffee Crew – Joe Laudermilk, Kirk Wall, Jeff Harrell, Jerry Sims, Robert Johnson Jr.
Brenham Coaches and Family Friends – Tim Oehrlein, Craig Agnew, Lanny Williams, Steve Puckett, Brian Harris, Sammy Burnett, Marshall Harrell, Michael Groves, Dan Blalock, Brian Gillespie and David Yeager.
Former Brownwood Football Players
Visitation for William Kenneth West will be Wednesday, September 17, 2025, from 6-8 pm at Blaylock Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be on Thursday, September 18 at 11:00 am at the First Methodist Church in Brownwood. Burial will follow at Eastlawn Memorial Park in Early, Tx.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the First Methodist Church of Brownwood, Gentiva Hospice of Brownwood, or Gordon Wood Hall of Champions.
