When William G. Westbrook, III moved from Tampa to Eagle Rock in 2013 to be closer to family, it wasn’t just his family but his new community that benefitted from his relocation. “Bill,” who passed away on January 6 at age 74, brought with him his irrepressible creative spirit expressed in a love of music and photography, a mastery of woodworking and a drive to paint in an array of styles, including “punctuated curvature” –his unique style of digitally enhanced drawings – and paint slinging, Pollock style, on any object he could find.
Born in 1943 in Thomasville, North Carolina, Bill was the eldest son of William G. Westbrook Jr. and Jean (Cunningham) Westbrook and big brother to Allen Westbrook. He attended Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he was drum major. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University in Alabama, playing French horn and trumpet during college.
After college, Bill joined the United States Air Force, where he served for 21 years, in Japan, the Philippines and many locations in the U.S. While in the Air Force, he earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Kentucky.
In 1967 he married Fran Doughtie of Columbus, Georgia. They had two daughters, Jennifer Grover, who lives in Utah and Terryn Westbrook, who lives in Eagle Rock.
By the time Bill completed his Air Force career in 1990, he was a Lieutenant Colonel and Director of Ambulatory Care at Keelser Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, one of the largest military hospitals in the country.
When Bill and Fran moved to Los Angeles in 2013, they said they were ready for “one last adventure” – and, boy, did they have one! At the age of 71, Bill did his first solo art show at the Coffee Table in Eagle Rock and was featured in the Pasadena Art Walk.
Bill will be remembered for his sense of humor, larger-than-life outgoing personality, generosity and desire to get to know everyone he encountered.
In addition to Fran, his wife of 50 years, Jennifer and Terryn, his daughters, and Allen, his brother, Bill is survived by his sons-in-law, Steve Grover and Jon Button, three grandchildren – Chloe, Keitan and Kezlowe – his sister-in-law, Donna Westbrook and his niece and nephew, Robbie and Betsy.
The family wishes to extend a special thanks at this time to the College Vista Skilled Nursing Facility in Eagle Rock and Adventist Health Glendale hospital.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Women’s 20th Century Club in Eagle Rock.
– Jen Grover and Terryn Westbrook
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