William C. West III

William Custis West III died peacefully in Fort Belvoir, Virginia on November 19, 2025, surrounded in his last days by his family who loved him. He was 89 years old. He will be remembered for his commitment to the life of the mind, to service to God and to others, and to his family.

Born on August 20, 1936, in Onancock, Virginia, to William Custis West, Jr. and Hilda Thomas Belote, he grew up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and then in Cranbury, New Jersey. Bill attended Princeton High School, where he ran cross country and graduated in 1954. He then attended Yale University, where he earned an NROTC scholarship, lived in Davenport College, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in classics. Upon graduating in 1958, he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy and was deployed on the USS Wahkiakum County, which evacuated personnel after the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Bill then went to study classics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, meeting his future wife, Jo Anne Garrett there; marrying in Bon Air, VA, August 22,1964. He completed his Ph.D. in classics in 1965, traveled to Athens on a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the American School for Classical Studies, and returned to join the faculty at UNC in 1966. He taught at UNC until his retirement from the department in 2003. He collaborated on L’Année Philologique, a comprehensive database of scholarly work on classical studies, beginning in 1968, and served as the director of the American office from 1974 to 1987. Bill published his scholarship in Classical Philology; Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies; the American Journal of Philology; and elsewhere. His most popular courses for the students, for whom he had great affection, were “The Age of Pericles” and “Ancient Greek Athletics.” After taking emeritus status in 2003, Bill continued to teach and write. He worked as an epigraphic consultant at archaeological sites in Azoria, Crete; taught at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University; and volunteered as a reading tutor at Mary Scroggs Elementary School. In 2018, Bill and JoAnne left their beloved Chapel Hill and relocated to Fort Belvoir, VA nearby their daughter’s family. After moving to The Fairfax, a vibrant retirement community with military roots, they soon made friends and enjoyed the many social, cultural and wellness offerings.

Faith was a central and sustaining part of Bill’s life. He approached Christianity with the heart of a believer and the mind of a scholar. He studied Christ’s teachings, the writings of St. Paul, and the scriptures—in English and in Greek—with the curiosity and reverence he brought to classical texts. He also loved his colleagues, friends, and family, and they loved him. His colleagues described him as generous with his time, thoughtful in counsel, and humble in a field that often rewards ego. His friends delighted in his subtle, unexpected humor. His family loved him and admired his many virtues: wisdom, moderation, and modesty. All who knew him well admired his devotion to worthy tasks and to the people whom he loved, and also that he loved simple joys: a good book, a trip to the museum, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the Boston Red Sox.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Jo Anne Garrett West; his two children Edward Garrett West and Amanda Custis West Wallingford (Jeffrey) his sister Susan West Gudheim; his six grandchildren E. Garrett West Jr. (Kacey), Gill Hamilton West (Avery), Nicholas Pullen West (Moira), Anna West Swisher (Sam), William David Wallingford, Edward Custis Wallingford, and step-granddaughter Krista Maitland (Ryan); his six great-grandchildren Rosemary Custis West, Edward Garrett West III, Sebastian Cunningham West, Louise Joanne West, Moses William West, and Silas Karol West and his three nieces Elizabeth Forrest Gudheim (Scott Magen), Calla Elaine Gudheim (Bernardo Carrillo), and Samantha West Gudheim Piatt (Dan) along with numerous cousins.

Those who loved him will long remember his love of truth, virtue, and time well-spent.

A Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th at 3:00pm at Aldersgate Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road Alexandria, VA 22308

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bill’s memory to The UNC Classics Department https://give.unc.edu/donate?p=ASDC Then choose the option ‘Fund for Classics’.