Home Obituaries Alphons W. Westee Jr., 95

Alphons W. Westee Jr., 95

Alphons W. Westee Jr. of Laurel, formerly of Southport, Connecticut and Westbury, died on Nov. 13, 2017 at his home. He was 95 years old.

He was born in Richmond Hill, Queens and attended Richmond Hill High School and Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He retired from IBM Corporation after 36 years. He was the director of litigation administration operations in Armonk, New York.

Westee joined the Army as an aviation cadet in February 1942 and graduated from pilot school as a second lieutenant. With further training he became a B-26 Martin Marauder pilot with the Ninth Air Force, 397th Bomber Group, 598th Squadron in Europe. He was shot down on Dec. 23, 1944 while on his 25th mission during the Battle of the Bulge. He was a prisoner of war until liberated by Gen. Patton in June 1945. He was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters for his 25 missions and the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster for wounds received during his last mission. In February 1951 he was recalled to active duty with the Air Force and served 17 months of active duty during the Korean War. He continued in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, from which he retired in 1982 with the rank of lieutenant colonel, serving over a span of 40 years.

Al and his wife Margaret were members of the North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue for more than 35 years. They were avid golfers and bridge players.

Predeceased in 2012 by his wife of 69 years and by his sisters, June Enzel of Wellesley, Massachusetts and Florence Schuler of North Palm Beach, Florida, he is survived by his daughters, Margaret Victoria McDowell of Laurel, Carol Cucchi of Aquebogue and Bonnie Westee Anderson of Laurel. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and by his brother Donald Westee of Auburn, New York.

The family will receive visitors on Nov. 16 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. Interment at Calverton National Cemetery will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, the Veterans Administration Hospital in Northport or the Wounded Warrior Project.

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