Charles Chuck Thomas West was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania on November 16, 1959. He attended New England College with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher but left school early to join the U. S. Marines Corps. He served from 1981 to 1988 as Aviation Ordnance. After the service he moved to New York City to help out a cousin. While there he worked in a bike shop and for Con Edison. In 1991 he married Phyllis Newbeck and they moved to Jericho in 1995. In 2006 he married Laurie Dague and they moved to North Carolina for 10 years but returned to Vermont because he missed the mountains. Chuck was the first full-time black (a term he preferred to African-American) ski instructor at Smugglers Notch and then their first full-time black ski patrol member, working part-time at Ski Rack and Old Spokes Home fixing bikes for their Everybody Bikes programs. Chuck was an avid road cyclist, skier and speedskater, but injuries hobbled him in recent years. He participated and volunteered with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Veterans Ventures program in Vermont and was often seen in the winter months at Bolton Valley Ski area sharing his passion of the outdoors with his peer recovery group of fellow veterans. There will be a memorial service for Chuck @ 1:30pm Friday, February 8th 2019 with Pastor Mark Mendes officiating at the First Congregational Church in Essex Junction Vermont, where we can share with each other our memories of Chuck Arrangements are with Champlain Cremation.