Obituary of Bruce Fraser West
Bruce Fraser West, artist, outdoor adventurist, and superb storyteller passed away May 6, 2021, from complications of Parkinson’s disease.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Sally Taylor. Bruce was born in 1939 in Shantung Province, China to a physician mother and a Presbyterian missionary father. The family came back to the US during WWII, returning to China after the war until the communist takeover.
Bruce was student body president at Medford High School and graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Sculpture. Bruce became a prolific and nationally recognized sculptor. His work can be seen throughout Portland indoors and outdoors including the Pittock Building lobby, the Portland waterfront, Oregon Health & Science University, and many other places throughout the Northwest. He taught sculpture at Lewis and Clark College, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his art was showcased in the home of the Vice President of the United States. His sculptures were inspired by his adventures kayaking the West’s white-water rivers and climbing some of the world's most challenging mountains. Working primarily with stainless steel, his art reflects the bold shapes and sinuous surfaces of the rocks and water he loved so much. Bruce’s friends and family enjoyed his fabulous and hilarious stories of his adventures.
Bruce is survived by his sister Pricilla Williams and her husband Christopher; nephews Ben, Bruce and Evan Williams, Collin Lockhart and David West; nieces Sarah and Jennifer West and Liz Lockhart, and seven great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Kirk West and sisters Prudence West and Ellen Lockhart, and his beloved wife and travel companion of 36 years, Sally Taylor.
Heartfelt appreciation to David West for his devoted care to Bruce since 2014; to Chuck and Ellen McClure, his long-time friends, attorney, and art advisor; and to his home caregivers. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
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