Sallie Townsend West

Sallie Townsend West, 97, of Grace Ridge Retirement Community, Morganton, NC went home on April 13, 2010 after a period of declining health. She was born in Lunenburg County, VA on June 18, 1912. Mrs. West’s Christian Faith was a huge part of her life. She delighted in sharing it with everyone. Her life was filled with wonderful experiences from the first automobile, to riding in a seaplane during her 1934 honeymoon in Miami, FL, to jet travel, to full utilization of her personal computer which she began using at age 88.She was known for her outstanding performance on the Richmond, VA, DuPont softball team when she worked there in the 1930s. She was an entrepreneur for 14 years with her gift shop in the Richmond area. While living in South Hill, VA, her gardening skills were admired and appreciated. Additionally, she made delicious sour dough bread. Morganton has been her home since 1998. Sallie loved playing Uno and was always ready for a game.Mrs. West was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Robert Livingston West. One of five children, she was also preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.

Sallie is survived by her daughter, Margaret W. Miller and husband, Fred; granddaughters, Sallie Usher and husband, John, of Perrysburg, OH, and Diana Chiaravalloti and husband, Gino, of Charlotte, NC; and two great-grandsons, Nicholas Miller Chiaravalloti and John West Usher.The funeral will be held at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 17, 2010 at Calvary Baptist Church with Reverends Larry Thompson and Michael Riley officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. At other times the family will be at the residence of her daughter, Margaret Miller, on Camelot Drive, Morganton. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690 or to the Grace Ridge Scholarship Fund, 500 Lenoir Road, Morganton, NC 28655, or to a charity of one’s choice. Sossoman Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.