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Lt. j. g. Bruce B. West, 41, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron chaplain, a native of Williamsburg, Va., died Saturday in a bicycle accident near Yasaka dam.

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Station chaplain dies in bicycle crash

26 May 2011 | Cpl. Marcel Brown Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

Lt.j.g. Bruce B. West Jr., 41, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron chaplain, a native of Williamsburg, Va., died in a bicycle crash near Yasaka dam Saturday morning.

A memorial service in his honor was held Thursday at the Marine Memorial Chapel.

“We’re all sad over here,” said Lt. Robert Mills, Deputy Command Chaplain, in a Stars and Stripes article.

West was endorsed by the Evangelical Church Alliance and had a Masters Degree in theological studies from Reformed Theological Seminary, Mills said.

“The community should remember him as full of life. That’s what he was,” said Seaman Recruit Jose Rodriguez, H&HS religious program specialist.

“For the time he was with us, he taught us to really enjoy life to the fullest and to always look at things from a positive perspective.” West joined the Navy in August 2010 and arrived at Iwakuni in November.

“Out of all of us here, he was the happiest one. He had the biggest smile coming in and out of the office,” said Rodriguez. “He was by far the most cheerful and genuine person I’ve met.”

West is survived by his wife and three children.