Obituaries

Elizabeth West

Elizabeth DuVal West, age 56, passed away on March 17, 2020 at her home in Westbury, N.Y. She was born in Dallas, Texas on May 16, 1963. She enjoyed pointing out that she arrived during the sixteenth orbit of the earth by astronaut Gordon Cooper on the final mission of the Mercury space program. Known to many as "Liz," she grew up in Dallas, Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Colo., before moving to Arlington, Texas at age eight. In 1979 she moved with her family to Fayetteville and was graduated from Fayetteville High School two years later. While in high school she was especially active in the drama program. She loved hanging out with her multitude of friends then and afterwards and cherished remaining in touch with them over the years and across the continent. Elizabeth was especially close to her grandparents, Madge Baskette, Dick West (‘Neendee"), and Betsy West, whom she considered her best friend in life. After attending the University of Arkansas for a time, she moved to Dallas, where she met her beloved husband, Randy Rakowski. They moved to New York in 1994, where she worked for several years as a media specialist with Spector Group, a prominent architectural firm, before retiring for health reasons. Elizabeth was an enthusiastic "parent" to a variety of pets, her "kids." She loved reading and language and the Rolling Stones, and she cultivated a remarkable knowledge of popular culture. She was a devoted New York Yankees fan and would tolerate no positive remarks about the Boston Red Sox. In 1995 she developed multiple sclerosis. She fought it with an extraordinary and uncomplaining courage for a quarter century, always with the close and loving care of husband Randy. Family and friends will remember Elizabeth always for her sharp, sometimes caustic, wit and her splendid laugh, her pride in her family, her compassion for every underdog, her loyalty to those she loved, her strong opinions, her remarkable bravery, and her sparkling blue eyes. The family would like especially to thank Elizabeth's neurologist, Dr. Richard Blanck, the many physicians who cared for her with great dedication over the years, and her caretakers at the end, Marie, Anita, and Dee. She is survived by her husband Randy Rakowski; her mother, Carolyn Baskette of Georgetown, Colo., father and step-mother Elliott West and Suzanne Stoner of Fayetteville; brothers Bill West and wife Laura, Richard and Garth West of Fayetteville, and sister Anne West of Portland, Ore.; uncles Richard West and wife Dena Timm of Amsterdam, George West and wife Lynn of Dallas, Brian Stoner and Pietro Cecci of North Stonington, Conn., aunt Cynthia Mackenzie of Fort Worth, Texas; nephews Will and Noah West of Fayetteville, nieces London West of Fayetteville, Jodie Riley and children Kenneth and Juliet of Azle, Texas and Christin Vaskas of Long Island City, N.Y.; cousins George, William, John, and Charles West and Torrie King and Carolyn King-Woerner, and Doug and Tim Larson; and her lifelong friend Faye Kelly. Under current restrictions for public health, a small service was held on April 30 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. A memorial will be held for Elizabeth sometime in the future.

Published May 10, 2020

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