hr869.html
07 LC 96 2781
House Resolution 869
By: Representative Yates of the 73rd

A RESOLUTION


Commending Mr. James Nathan West and Mrs. Peggy Mays West; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, James Nathan West, a distinguished veteran and employee of the Ford Motor Company, was born in College Park, Georgia, on December 26, 1934; and

WHEREAS, at the age of 17, he joined the United States Navy and served with distinction during the Korean Conflict from 1952 to 1954 as a boilerman on a destroyer; and

WHEREAS, after he was honorably discharged from service, he earned his G.E.D. and became an apprentice as a plumber before joining the building maintenance staff at the Atlanta Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in 1958 as a pipefitter and plumber; and

WHEREAS, with exceptional dedication and enthusiasm, he fulfilled his duties with the Ford Motor Company for nearly half a century, retiring on October 27, 2006, after 48 years of meritorious service and becoming the longest-serving pipefitter in the entire company of over 150,000 employees; and

WHEREAS, Peggy Mays West, a native of Henry County, has been a stellar mother, homemaker, and a phenomenal wife, despite the difficulties posed by her life-long battle with polio and the loss of the use of one of her arms; and

WHEREAS, after she was diagnosed with polio at the age of 12, Peggy was admitted to Grady Hospital, where she was treated with the iron lung ventilator, before she spent a year in Warm Springs recovering; and

WHEREAS, Peggy Mays met James Nathan West while Peggy was in high school, and after several years of dating, the two were married on October 23, 1959, and the two have shared nearly 50 years of wonderful marriage; and

WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. West have been inspirational pillars of the community throughout their lives, and they have provided stellar guidance and support to their three children, Tammy Weaver, James Nathan "Jimmy" West, Jr., and Jennifer Lynn "Jenny" Lawrence, and eight grandchildren.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor the amazing lives of two of Georgia's finest citizens, Mr. James Nathan West and Mrs. Peggy Mays West; commend them for their extensive service to their community and to this state; and extend to them their sincerest best wishes for the future.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Mr. James Nathan West and Mrs. Peggy Mays West.