| Graduation Year | Class of 1967 |
| Date of Passing | Mar 14, 2014 |
| About | He served his country as a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was courageous in the face of the adversity of his disability caused by Muscular Dystrophy and he advocated for disability rights at the Local, State, and Federal levels. Some of the honors he has received include the MDA State Recipient of Personal Achievement in 2002, The Ann Klein Advocate Award by the Community Health Law Project on October 23, 2002, The Lifetime Advocacy Award by Community Quest on February 7, 2008, The Community Building Award by The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities in 2012, The Christopher W. Hohenstein Fraud Fighter of the Year by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners on April 30, 2012, and the VFW Americanism Award on September 21, 2013. The annual “Richard West 5 Mile Wheelchair Race” on Long Beach Island, NJ was a testament to the value and strength of those that are of different abilities. |
