Sammy Lee West

~ Reflections of Life~

Mr. Sammy L. West

Sammy Lee West was born on May 16, 1958, in Leland, Mississippi to Sam West and Loretta “Sweets” Charleston at Leland City Hospital. Sammy didn’t enter this world alone, he arrived 4 minutes before his twin sister Sandra. The pair were known as making history as the first set of twins born in Leland that year. Sammy was educated within the Kansas City Missouri School District attending Wendell Phillips Elementary School in 1965 and went on to attend junior high at Faxon Middle School. Sammy then attended Westport High School in 1971.

By Gods’ calling, Sammy was baptized at the early age of 12 at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church under the leadership of his uncle, Reverend R.L. Jones. Being baptized at this age, led him to have a passionate love of listening to his favorite gospel songs in the recent days before his passing.

Sammy, in the early 1990’s, was employed by the Kansas City Missouri Book Depository in the warehouse where he worked tirelessly on arranging incoming and outgoing books, fulfilling book orders, and served on the delivery team with delivering each book order to schools within the Kansas City Missouri School District. In his later years of employment, he served as a Maintenance Technician at a variety of apartment complexes within the Kansas City Kansas community.

Sammy, affectionately known as “Sam” & “Twin”, had many hobbies. As a teenager, he had a passion for playing basketball with his neighborhood friends. He loved grilling and inviting friends and family over for a good meal. Outside of his passion for listening to music, he loved to do the famous “Kansas City Two Step”. He was a magnificent dancer. Sammy also had a great love for cars, hats, shoes, and jewelry. You could often find Sam on a Saturday morning washing and detailing one of his many Cadillacs. He loved Cadillacs so much, he often referred to himself as the “Cadillac Man”. Sam had a way of matching his hats with his colorful outfits. He could often be seen in a nice 2-piece suit with the matching Dobbs or Kangol hat. He believed a nice hat and piece of jewelry would refine his overall appearance. While Sam was stern at times, he had a very soft spot for his love of a flavored icecee and banana popsicles. Outside of his hobbies and favorite things he loved to do, Sammy loved everyone he encountered. This was often shown with him enjoying a laughable moment with you or giving you a tight hug and kiss.

Sammy L. West departed this earthly life on the evening of Monday, October 30, 2023, at North Kansas City Hospital surrounded by his children and family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Loretta West and his wife Dr. Marieta A. West. Sammy leaves to forever cherish his memories, his children, Darrel Boyd Jr. (Kali), Deidra M. West, Heather R. Tribble (Joseph Sr.), and Jeremy L. West; his siblings, Sandra West-Hardin (Harold), Joseph Johnson Jr. (Shelia), JoAnn Harrison (Veelewerance), and Terry Lee Johnson. His memory will also be cherished by his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many special friends.