Our beloved brother and son, William Ballantyne West, Jr., passed away on March 1st as a result of his struggles with personal issues. Though it is very painful, we have taken comfort in remembering his exceptional traits and in the kind words that many others who felt the same way gave us. William is Will Sr. and Lisa West’s second child. After graduating from Alta High School in 2008, Brigham Young University in 2016, and the University of Utah School of Medicine in 2021, the person finished their studies. At George Washington University, they were nearing the end of their residency in ophthalmology surgery. He served in the Milan, Italy mission from 2009 to 2011, taught at the Missionary Training Center, led the Y-Serve organization at BYU, and was involved in adaptive aquatics. These are just a few examples of his service. He also worked at BYU and the American Fork Hospital as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). In addition, he spent time teaching medical staff members in the Azores how to speak English.
He had a boisterous and cheerful personality that always made everyone around him laugh. He was quite happy when he was doing anything fun, and his eyes were always evilly bright. He always welcomed adventure in his own special way. When I was younger, this meant getting free popcorn at Video Vern’s at six in the morning when the rest of us were still asleep. As an adult, this meant taking part in Spartan and Ragnar races, midnight cliff leaping in the Mediterranean, and slacklining through gorges at Lake Powell.
William had a unique experience when he decided not to pay for accommodation while his years in medical school and instead live in an ambulance. His creativity and cunning led to an amazing setup in the ambulance and permeated all of his activities, especially gingerbread. He and his sister Lucy would work together every Christmas, creating amazing things (this year, they created a ski slope, complete with ski lifts and skiers). He liked spending time with kids; they looked up to him since he was so uninhibited while he was playing.
William had a resolute attitude that made him immune to any setbacks or efforts to soften his resolve. Added to this, his superb fine motor skills made him an amazing surgeon. William’s deep empathy and constant dedication to helping and protecting others were two of his remarkable qualities. Those who have known William at different points in his life, such as the building’s garage attendant, his fellow medical students and supervising physicians, as well as international friends and family, have shared stories of his kind, giving deeds that were highly appreciated but frequently went unrecognized. His siblings are all grateful for his watchful nature; we have all seen him provide assistance when needed.
William’s last words, in which he stressed his wish to protect other medical students and residents who are going through similar struggles, perfectly captured his essence. We hope that structural changes will be put into place to better assist future medical professionals. This is quite crucial. Our goal is to save other families from experiencing similar tragedies and to make it possible for more people of moral integrity to pursue careers in medicine without significantly jeopardizing their own wellbeing.
We know that sweet William has now found peace, and we look forward to seeing him again. He is very much loved by us. Ray and Janet Gardiner, William’s grandparents, have gone away. In all, 61 first cousins and their families, as well as 28 aunts and uncles, survive him.
His parents are Will Sr. and Lisa (Gardiner), siblings are Jennifer (Becca), Peter (Sierra), David (Ivy), George (AJ), and Lucy, and grandparents are Hugh and Sue West. In addition, he has two cherished dogs called Stanley and Piper, as well as nephews and nieces named Noah, Evelyn, and Archer.
On Friday, March 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., there will be a visitation at the LDS chapel, which is situated at 2195 E Pepperwood Drive, Sandy, UT 84092. In addition, there will be a viewing on Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and the funeral will be held at the same location at 11:00 am. He will rest with his grandparents at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
