Engineer Willie West followed his childhood dream and became a firefighter with Lockheed Missiles and Space in 1989 and became a full-time firefighter with ECCFPD in 2002. Willie will be remembered for his professionalism, kindness, and sincere, gentle spirit. With a big grin on his face and laughter in his blue eyes, he welcomed everyone he met with open arms. This past June, West lost his battle with job-related cancer.