John H.C. West III

Consummate storyteller and loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, John
H.C. West III of Henderson, New York, died peacefully in the care of Hospice of Jefferson
County Saturday, July 19, 2025, after a brief but grueling battle with neuroendocrine cancer.
John was born on Friday the 13th of December, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—a fact that
he never let anyone forget. This birthdate sparked a lifelong superstition around the number 13
and a deep fascination with the paranormal, which he embraced with equal parts humor and
sincere curiosity.
The second of five siblings, John was the son of army veterans John H.C. West Jr. and Rita A.
Irwin West. He was raised “a block from the beach” on Sacramento Avenue in Ventnor, NJ.
John dedicated his life to his family, public service, youth advocacy, and the law. In his youth,
John, known as “Westie” at the time, served for nine years as a lifeguard on the Ventnor City
Beach Patrol—an experience that embodied his lifelong love of the ocean, his protective nature,
and his early sense of duty to others.
John rowed crew and was a graduate of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, NJ. He then
graduated from Richard Stockton State College (now Stockton University) with a Bachelor’s
degree in Criminal Justice in 1980. After graduation, John hitchhiked across the United States
with a friend from Ventnor. He took up residence in Crested Butte, Colorado for a year or so then
returned to the East Coast.
John’s career began in the New Jersey criminal justice system, where he served in multiple roles
with the New Jersey State Parole Board from 1982 to 1990. Rising from parole counselor to
Assistant Director of the Division of Field Services, John conducted and oversaw parole hearings
for some of the state's most sensitive and complex cases, including those involving organized
crime and serious offenders. His work helped shape fair and effective parole practices throughout
the state.
While working at Leesburg State Prison, John met his wife, fellow parole counselor, Nancy
Novak— inspiring the lifelong joke that Nancy and John “met in prison.” John and Nancy were
married in Titusville, NJ in 1985. June 29th marked their 40th wedding anniversary.
John was brilliant, driven, and persistent. He continued his education, commuting from his home
and full-time workplace in South Jersey to Widener University Delaware Law School in pursuit
of his Juris Doctorate. Nancy and John welcomed daughter, Gabrielle, in 1987. He graduated
from law school in 1988 and was admitted to the New Jersey State Bar Association in 1989. In
January of 1990, John and Nancy welcomed daughter, Abigail.
From 1990 to 1995, John practiced law as a sole practitioner in Ventnor, specializing in criminal
and juvenile law, post-conviction relief, and correctional institution matters. His commitment to
rehabilitation and justice extended into his role as Assistant Director of Aftercare and Parole
Services with the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission, where he was responsible for
overseeing statewide juvenile parole and aftercare programs.
In 1998, John founded Capital Academy, a groundbreaking organization that provided secure
residential care and education for emotionally disturbed youth. As CEO, he built Capital
Academy into a vital institution that partnered with the State of New Jersey to serve hundreds of
at-risk youth. When John proudly survived a near-fatal “widow-maker” heart attack in 2006 at
the age of 49, he put renewed focus on his health. He expressed remorse that his heart attack
initiated his marginalization at Capital Academy, and the organization was later acquired by a
private equity group in 2012.
John continued to serve his community through various leadership and public service roles,
including as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Woodbine Developmental Center—a
position he held by gubernatorial appointment for nearly three decades. He was also a certified
police training officer, a member of the Juvenile Justice Commission Intelligence Committee,
and a guest instructor and graduate teaching assistant at Northeastern University’s School of
Criminology and Criminal Justice. John possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of the prison
system and true crime, knowledge he time and time again put to good use on long family road
trips and at holiday dinners— and in recent decades finally formally put to paper as an author.
In 2019, John and Nancy moved from Frenchtown, NJ to northern New York to be close by for
the birth of their first grandchild. In his later years, John worked with the United States Census
Bureau and the United States Postal Service. John most recently enjoyed his role as substitute
teacher at Watertown High School in Watertown, NY, where he maintained his same sense of
purpose and diligence that defined his distinguished career.
John will be forever remembered by his large family and close longtime friends, on nearly all of
whom he lovingly bestowed an unduly fitting nickname. He is survived by his wife, Nancy
Novak-West of Henderson, NY; daughter Gabrielle West, son-in-law Alec Johnson, and
grandchildren Claire and Tadhg Johnson of Clayton, NY; daughter Abigail West, son-in-law
Tatsuro Nishimura, and grandchildren Winona and Rio West-Nishimura of Easton, PA; motherin-
law and father-in-law Lenore and Walter Novak of Jackson, NJ; the Smith family of Absecon,
NJ: sister Lisa, brother-in-law Charles, niece and nephew Cindy and CJ; the West family of
Ventnor, NJ: brother Matt and nephews Nicholas and Matthew; brother James West of Woodbine
Developmental Center; the Wessler family of Port Republic, NJ: sister Katie, nephews Eric and
Brian and niece Catherine; the Schulz family of Point Pleasant, NJ: sister-in-law and brother-inlaw
Noel and Danny and nephews Ian and Liam. John is predeceased by his parents John (Jack)
and Rita West of Ventnor, NJ, as well as a brother, Mark, who died in infancy. He’s also
predeceased by many cats and dogs he loved over his lifetime. John was particularly optimistic
that he will be reunited with his oversized golden retriever mix whom he affectionately called
“Bear Meat.”
D.L. Calarco Funeral Home in Watertown, NY is facilitating John’s arrangements.
Remembrances can be posted at www.dlcalarco.com. There will be no funeral or calling hours;
John’s family plans to return him to patrol on his beloved Ventnor beach with a celebration of
life at a later date.
John’s final wish was to be with his grandchildren, whom he simply adored. Hospice of Jefferson
County provided a beautiful place for him to be surrounded by their laughter. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to hospice at www.jeffersonhospice.org/support-us/donate. Alternatively,
if you are eligible, please consider a donation of platelets or whole blood to honor John and help
those battling cancer. Locations and drives can be found at: www.redcrossblood.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John H.C. West III, please visit our floral store.