Allan John West, 92, died peacefully June 3, 2026, at his home in Ojai, California.

West was born in London, within earshot of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow Church. He was the middle child of John and Violet West. During the Battle of Britain, the family moved to Harrogate in Yorkshire. In 1949, the family boarded a steamship and immigrated to Canada, settling in Toronto. There, West met Joyce Carol Schneller, his wife of 71 years. He also developed his love of the outdoors as a Boy Scout, earning the rank of King Scout, comparable to an Eagle Scout.

In 1952, the family immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Southern California. West and Joyce married in 1954 and moved to Berkeley, where he enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Forestry. He earned a Bachelor of Science in forestry in 1956 and a Master of Forestry in 1957.

West began his long career with the U.S. Forest Service on Donner Summit, California, as a snow hydrologist for the Pacific Southwest Research Station. He later transferred into the National Forest System, where he held positions including assistant district ranger in Lee Vining, California; district ranger in Ojai; deputy forest supervisor in Fresno, California; forest supervisor in Goleta, California; and several positions at the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. He retired in 1993 as deputy chief for State and Private Forestry.

West also played an important role in the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund, known as TREE Fund. He was part of the organization’s early history as the ISA Research Trust and National Arborist Foundation came together in the 1990s. He served on the TREE Fund board from 2001 to 2008, was TREE Fund’s only chairman emeritus and was one of four people recognized as a trustee emeritus.

He was active in many organizations and causes, including the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, Society of American Foresters, TREE Fund, Rotary International, Boy Scouts of America and Sunkist Growers.

West was preceded in death by his parents, John and Violet West, and his sisters, June Tomasevic and Patricia Brown.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; three sons and their wives, Chris and Tina, Mike and Andra, and Scott and Trish; 10 grandchildren, Megan, Melissa, Rebecca, Philip, Bradley, Connor, Matthew, Natalie, Elizabeth and Luke; and two great-grandchildren, Raelynn and Carter.