A Graniterock employee reported the death of San Juan Bautista Mayor Jim West on Thursday morning, the county coroner’s office reported.
The San Benito County Coroner’s Office reported West was reported dead this morning by an employee at his workplace Graniterock, 2391 San Juan Highway. The sheriff’s office also noted how next of kin have been notified, it is not a criminal case and it was not work-related.
“Our office will release cause of death after autopsy, and upon request, out of respect for the family,” sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Eric Taylor noted in an email with a statement.
West, 75, was the mayor of San Juan Bautista while finishing a four-year term on the council. West was involved for decades in local nonprofit organizations and politics.
That statement from the sheriff/coroner’s office read as follows:
The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office offers its sincere condolences in the passing of San Juan Bautista Mayor Jim West. Our deputies were called to Mayor West’s workplace, Graniterock, this morning by an employee who reported Mayor West’s untimely death.
Jim West had been a fixture in San Benito County for nearly two decades. In that time, he not only served as the mayor. He was also elected to the San Benito County Health Care District, was appointed to the County Parks & Recreation Commission, and was on the Board of Directors for the United Way.
Jim touched hearts and lives in our county. His generosity and commitment to put his community first will not be forgotten and is an inspiration to us all. We send our love and prayers to Jim’s family during this difficult time.
Photo courtesy of Facebook
Coroner: Workplace reported San Juan Mayor Jim West’s death
