Paul F. West, D. Min., 74, of Bedford passed away on Wednesday, November 21, 2012.
He was born in Cranston, Rhode Island on November 24, 1937. He was the son of the late Reverend Doctor John Arthur and Vera Spreckelmeyer West. He attended Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, then earned his Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1964. He was ordained to ministry in the United Church of Christ and worked on the staff of the Garden City Community Church, Garden City, Long Island and the First Church in Cambridge, Cambridge, MA. In 1978, he decided to leave full-time parish ministry and began a 25-year career in human resources management within the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation at the Fernald School. Since becoming an Episcopalian in 1980 he has served as a guest preacher, conducted adult education classes and retreats. In 2008 he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA.

He leaves his beloved wife Kathleen, his daughter Sarah B. Paradise of Oakland, California, his brother and sister-in-law John David and Sandra West of Dayton Ohio, Michael and Erin Loftus of Shrewsbury, MA, John and Maureen Doyle of Leicester, MA, nine nieces and nephews and many friends.

A celebration of Paul's life will be held on Thursday, November 29, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 100 Pine Hill Rd., Bedford. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, November 28, at the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Road, Bedford from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or www.doctorswithoutborders.org and Episcopal Relief and Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058 or www.er-d.org.