I am forwarding the notice of Alan Westcott’s passing, sent by Marta Gillen, Sr. Executive Assistant to the President of DVC.
On a personal note, Alan and I were hired as full time faculty members in 1991. We were among the last group hired during the time Dr. Sapper was on the administrative hiring team and we were in the first group required to have a 4 year tenure process. During all of the meetings, Alan was a cheerful presence, thoroughly engaged and supportive. He made a positive impact on our Nexus group, an asset to us and to the college community. I am sad to hear of his passing.
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We are sad to report the passing of former employee Alan Westcott. Alan joined DVC in 1991 as a mathematics instructor until his retirement in 2007. The following obituary was shared.
Alan Westcott Obituary
Alan Westcott passed away on Apr 28 at the age of 84. Living in California all his life, Alan spent most of his years in the Bay Area, and the last 35 in Berkeley. As a mathematics professor at Diablo Valley Community College, he had no shortage of opportunities to pass along his love of learning. Alan was born in Los Angeles in 1938 to Marshall Westcott and Jane Huntington Perkins. His mother owned and operated a dog kennel, where he picked up a life-long love for dogs and cats. He studied mathematics as an undergrad, then anthropology for his graduate studies at UC Berkeley, but he always came back to teaching math. The letters of thanks he received from students who took his algebra and calculus classes were his greatest professional joy, and he saved each one in a scrap folder. Alan and his wife Rexie couldn’t stay in one spot for too long, and they took frequent trips around the American West in their RV, sleeping in it wherever the day ended. After Rexie’s passing, he dedicated himself to God and became a regular fixture at Saint Ambrose Catholic Church in Berkeley. Always interested in fostering learning, he taught RCIA classes to new Catholics. He is survived by his sons, Quentin and Ian, and his daughter, Rexie and her daughter, Madelyn.
Published by East Bay Times on Jun. 4, 2023.
Nancy Zink
DVCRA Liaison