Mr. John Bowdoin West Jr., 76, a lifelong resident of Nelsonia, passed away on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Commonwealth Senior Living in Onancock.
Born on June 12, 1949, in Nassawadox, he was the son of John Bowdoin “Jack” West Sr. and Blanche Middleton West and the grandson of John Hanson “Hance” West and Blanche Bundick West, all of Nelsonia. He was also the grandson of John R. Middleton and Agnes “Blanche” Wathen Middleton, of Hunting Creek and later Parksley.
Following graduation from Parksley High School in 1967, John completed the post-graduate program at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham.
In 1968, he returned to the Eastern Shore, and after a short stint at Holly Farms (Tyson), he joined his grandfather West as a poultry farmer. Later, he returned to Tyson until his retirement in June 2011 at the age of 62. John was a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Onley and a member of the Northern Accomack Ruritan Club, serving as its president for a year.
Everyone who knew John was aware of his famous “moseying” trips up and down the roads of Accomack County, where he gathered minute details about anything and anyone he saw or met along the way. Those trips, more often than not, included stops at his favorite fast-food establishments.
A kind and gentle soul, John was the family historian and the go-to person for friends and family inquiring about anyone and anything Eastern Shore. He had a remarkable memory and even decades later could recall specific events, the people who attended them, and their comments. His accounts of football games and the specific players on each team were also an area in which his memory excelled.
John is survived by a brother, Retired Lt. Col. William Carey West (Laura), of Houston; his sister, Teresa Ann West, of Ocean Pines, Md.; his aunt, Priscilla West, of Nelsonia; and numerous cousins.
Other than his parents and grandparents, he was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Anthony “Tony” Smith, his aunts and uncles, and several cousins.
The family received friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, at Thornton Funeral Home in Parksley.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 12, at 1 p.m. at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Onley. Interment will immediately follow in Modest Town Baptist Cemetery, 16508 Metompkin Road, Modest Town, VA 23412.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, P.O. Box 860, Onley, VA 23418 or Riverside Hospice, P.O. Box 615, Onley, VA 23418.
