Charles Preston West, 94, was born on a farm in the small community of Carl, Kentucky, on April 17, 1931. He passed away peacefully on September 28, 2025. Charles called Nashville, Tennessee, home since 1963 and joined First Baptist Church with his wife that same year.
Charles met the love of his life, Betty Sweeney, at school when he was 12, and they became high school sweethearts. After graduating high school as Valedictorian, he went his separate way for a while. Charles spent three years alongside his father working on the family farm in central Kentucky. He then served four years in the United States Navy during the Korean War and reunited with Betty during college. They married on June 10, 1956, and celebrated 68 wedding anniversaries together.
Charles loved travel, gardening, and the outdoors all his life. His love of science and creation extended into his study of mathematics, which he called “the language of science.” Charles received degrees in mathematics and science from Western Kentucky (Bowling Green, KY) and then taught biology, physics, and chemistry for a while at College High, the university school. Afterwards, he proceeded to doctoral study of nuclear physics at Vanderbilt University. Charles worked in Oak Ridge, TN, and spent 30 years working as a radiological physicist for the State of Tennessee in Nashville, retiring over 30 years ago.
No matter who you were or what your occupation, Charles treated you with respect, kindness and showed interest in you as a person. He and Betty spent many years teaching English to international students from Belmont, Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, and MTSU. They became parents to students whose parents were far away, hosting them for dinner at their home, providing financial support, and being support to them and their children at birthdays and special events.
Family was always paramount to Charles, and during the past 30 years of retirement, he and Betty spent many hours at grandchildren’s sporting events, theatre productions, birthdays, and graduations. Charles’ retirement hobby of woodworking allowed him to make lamps, tables, and customized items for his family.
Since the pandemic, Charles was less able to get out and about, so the family came to him to listen to his many stories about farm life in Kentucky and the Navy and to seek his wisdom and advice. Charles left a legacy of enduring faith, love of family, loyalty to others, mutual respect, and devotion to each family member.
Charles is preceded in death by his wife of over 68 years, Betty, his mother and father, Clifford and Verna West, a brother, Garland West, and a sister, Anna Louise Willis.
Charles is survived by his two daughters, Deborah Higdon (Steve) of Brentwood, TN and Rebecca Hopkins (Steve) of New Albany, MS. He is survived by five grandchildren: Emily Horn (Daniel) of Greenwood, AR, Jonathan Higdon (Sonia) of Nashville, TN, Andrew Hopkins (Kerrie) of New Albany, MS, Benjamin Higdon of Wilmore, KY, and Callison Hopkins of Seattle, WA. Charles is also survived by three great-grandsons: Wyatt and Landon Hopkins of New Albany, MS, and Charlie Horn of Greenwood, AR.
Charles’ celebration of life is Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, Nashville, TN. Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m. with a graveside service at 12:00 p.m. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/nashville-tn
Pallbearers: Sons-in-Law Steve Higdon (Brentwood, TN) and Steve Hopkins (New Albany, MS), and grandsons Jonathan Higdon (Nashville, TN), Andrew Hopkins (New Albany, MS), Benjamin Higdon (Wilmore, KY), and grandson-in-law Daniel Horn (Greenwood, AR).
Honorary Pallbearers: Nephews Gary West (Mountain Brook, AL) and Greg West (Kirkland, WA).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Cardiology Department in honor of Charles’ namesake, Charles Alexander Horn.
For more obituaries, visit https://davidsoncountysource.com/obituaries/
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