• Visitation: Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME (16880 W National Ave. New Berlin, WI)

• Prayer Service: Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 6:30 pm at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME (16880 W National Ave. New Berlin, WI)

• Additional Visitation: Friday, August 14, 2026 from 10 am – 11 am at HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH (16000 W National Ave, New Berlin, WI

• Mass of Christian Burial: Friday, August 14, 2026 at 11 am at HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH (16000 W National Ave, New Berlin, WI)

• Interment at HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH CEMETERY immediately following the Mass.

Raymond A. West

Ray West never met a stranger. He had a way of making you feel like the conversation with you was the best part of his day. He carried that warmth through 94 years, and he passed it on to everyone he raised, mentored, coached, or simply stood next to in a checkout line.

Raymond West passed away on July 30, 2026, in New Berlin, Wisconsin. He was born on July 17, 1932, in Milwaukee, to Owen Sr. and Emma West.

He leaves behind Barbara, his wife of 67 years and the other half of a genuine partnership. The two of them raised seven kids together, educating, encouraging and celebrating their achievements. Ray is also survived by his brother, Gilbert West, his sister, Dorothy Kanter, and his children: Sue Dudash (the late Dave Dudash), Bill West (Michelle), Katie West (Rick Sankovitz), Peggy Olson (Paul), Sara Pederson (Judd), and Rachel Chromy (Courtnay Brummer). He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Owen Jr., Dewain, and Thomas; his son, John; his son-in-law, Dave Dudash, and his granddaughter’s husband, Omar Dominguez.

Ray also leaves behind a wonderful crowd of grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Hilary and Madeline Dudash; Brad West (Samantha) and their children, Olivia and Ryan, Thomas West, Matt West (Rachel) and their son, Theodore, Anne Dominguez (the late Omar) and their daughter Mila, and Meghan West and her son, Thomas Freymuth; Will, Nora, and Lincoln West Sankovitz; Peter and Sam Olson; Ben Pederson (Breanna) and their sons, Wyatt and Sylvester, Jake Pederson (Taylor Bruns), Danielle and Rachel Pederson; and Alex Chromy, Emma Sturdivant (Mason), Lauren and Lucas Chromy.

Family was the center of Ray’s whole world, and he made sure every single one of them knew it. Ask any of his kids or grandkids and they’ll tell you the same thing with a laugh — each of them was convinced they were his favorite. That was Ray’s gift. He would make you feel like the most important person in the room, even in a room full of people he loved just as much. Nothing made him happier than a house full of family, and he was especially delighted that his grandchildren stayed close to one another even after they scattered across the country.

Ray was no stranger to hard work. He started young, helping at his family’s fish market, later he drove a truck for the Milwaukee Journal, painted barns, insulated attics, worked in a bakery, and even spent time at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. This resume probably explains where he picked up some of his best stories. That work ethic never left him.

He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a degree in Economics in 1956 and went on to spend more than three decades as a stockbroker with PaineWebber, later continuing his career with A.G. Edwards and, ultimately, Morgan Stanley, before retiring in 2007 at age 75. Clients stayed with Ray for generations because he actually listened, gave it to them straight, actively cared about them, and always put their interests first. He served as President of the Milwaukee Bond Club and held other leadership roles across the investment community throughout his career.

Ray believed that if you were part of a community, you showed up for it. He brought a reasoned and respected approach to his mostly volunteer activities. He served the City of New Berlin as an elected alderman and later sat on the Water Commission, the Library Board, and the Board of Review, retiring from that last post in 2016. He took voting seriously enough that he used to bring his kids along with him to the polls, and later he and Barbara worked as poll workers together.

His Catholic faith mattered deeply to him. Ray was a longtime member of Holy Apostles Parish, where he served on the Parish Council and the counting team and pitched in wherever he was needed, always with a smile and a welcome for whoever walked through the door.

Ray was a diehard Green Bay Packers fan and season ticket holder for life. He coached his kids’ teams when they were young, and once his grandchildren came along, he became their number one fan. He made a point of getting to at least one game for every grandchild, in every sport, every season, and they loved seeing him cheering from the sidelines or the stands.

But if you knew Ray, you also knew him for his sense of humor. He was always ready with a joke or a funny story, and he was, without question, the best audience the kids in his family ever had. He’d wait, completely captivated, for one of the little ones to land their punchline, and he’d laugh every time like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. He loved music too, especially jazz and classical, and he had opinions about both that he was happy to share.

Ray West was a man of faith, integrity, kindness and quiet strength, but more than anything, he was easy to love. He earned deep respect from everyone who knew him professionally, and even deeper love from the people who got to call him Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Great Grandpa or friend.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Holy Apostles School fund or the Hunger Task Force, both serving a mission close to Ray’s heart. The funeral service may be live-streamed at Holy Apostles YouTube Page. Please click here to view. 

Visitation will take place on Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME (16880 W National Ave. New Berlin, WI) with a short prayer service to follow at 6:30 pm. Additional visitation will take place on Friday, August 14, 2026 from 10 am – 11 am at HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH ( 16000 W National Ave, New Berlin, WI) with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11 am. Interment at HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH CEMETERY immediately following the Mass.

Click here to make a donation to Holy Apostles School Fund. 

Click here to make a donation to the Hunger Task Force. 

HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME

414-321-7440

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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