West, David Armstrong

David Armstrong West, 81, of Blacksburg died April 2, 2015 at his home. David was born and spent his childhood in Beirut, Lebanon where his father and grandfather both taught at the American University of Beirut and his grandmother, who was born and raised in Damascus, Syria also worked.

David married Lindsay Lattimore Butte in New York City in 1958. He attended Cornell University to study ornithology, graduating with a PhD in 1959. After two years of genetics research in Liverpool, England he came to Virginia Tech in 1962 where he taught biology and genetics until his retirement in 1998.

David and his family lived in and restored an 1840 brick house on three acres in town, which includes a portion of Stroubles Creek. David and Lindsay placed an historic and open space easement on the entire property, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

Following his retirement David pursued his interests in music, reading, travel, and the local mountains with wilderness designation for additional areas in the Jefferson National Forest including Brush Mountain. In 2003 David published A Naturalist in Brazil, his biography of the 19th century German naturalist Fritz Müller. He has recently completed a second book on Müller that traces the development of his ideas and his connection with Charles Darwin and other European and American scientists.

David is survived by his wife Lindsay, sister Elisabeth FitzHugh and brother Allen; his son Peter and wife Katherine Hood of Brooklyn, NY; his son Roger and wife Deborah of Silver Spring, MD; his daughter Susan West Marmagas and husband William of Blacksburg, VA. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Nicholas, Daniel and Tyler West and Anastasia and Elektra Marmagas.

Friends are invited to visit at the West residence at 607 Giles Road from 3-6pm on Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8, 2015. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to the Moss Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, in memory of David West. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg