Phyllis “Kay” West, 75, of Pensacola, FL passed away Monday, October 19, 2026.

Kay was born in Andalusia, AL, on November 14, 1950, to Andrew Dillard Simpler and Martha Ellen White Simpler. The family moved to Pensacola, FL, when Kay was 5 years old. She graduated from Pensacola High School and Pensacola Junior College.

Life took Kay from Pensacola to Germany and also Dallas, TX. While in Dallas she became a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. Later, when she returned to Pensacola, she became an Alabama fan and loved watching those football games on Saturdays with her brother, Ken. Kay attended First Baptist Church and most recently, Olive Baptist Church.

Kay worked in administration in the medical field, working for private hospitals and doctors, as well as the federal government at Eglin Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Pensacola. She worked in several departments at NAS Pensacola before landing her favorite and most meaningful assignment in 2008. She worked at the Robert E. Mitchell Center for Prisoner of War Studies, coordinating travel and hospitality for repatriated POWs being evaluated to study the mental and physical effects of captivity and to address the findings’ applicability to current military operations. She dearly loved the POWs she was privileged to work with, often receiving autographed copies of their autobiographies. In January 2024, she retired from this position after 15 years, and her total civil service after 41 years.

Kay was known as the fun Aunt, always attending birthdays and holiday family gatherings, often double time celebrating in Pensacola and Crestview. She was up for anything: escorting young relatives to New York or escaping from a relative’s wedding preparation by taking youngsters to Disney World. Keeping with the fun, she loved playing practical jokes on coworkers; her favorite one was hiding realistic large plastic roaches among her coworkers’ things. She had a bit of a green thumb and grew lovely orchids. She loved baking desserts for family events and coworkers’ birthdays, some of which were beautifully frosted cakes made of foam rubber, signifying they were older indeed when they were unable to cut it. She was generous to a fault in her gift giving, taking time to select the perfect gift. She gave freely of her time to help others, whether it was helping her sister Anne with two young children after she suddenly became ill in South Florida, or house sitting and caring for the pets of family members in Pensacola. Her most loving care was directed towards her mother when she endured a chronic illness, checking on her, meeting needs, and attending physician appointments. She asked for nothing in return. Everyone knew Kay could be counted on to help in a pinch. In her later years, it was easy to bring a smile to her face by bringing her a Coke and peanut butter M&Ms.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Andy and Ellen Simpler.

Survivors include her brother, Ken Simpler (Sammye); brother, Joe Simpler (Cindy); sister, Anne Wise (Pete); nieces and nephews: Lea Richardson (David), Clay Simpler (Amanda), Russ Hightower (Amanda), Jennifer Foshee (Mike), Katie Phillips (Stephen), Jessica McCoy (Dustin), Clifton Drake (Elizabeth), Laura Glass (Cody), David Wise (Heather), Christy Descoteaux (Peter), and Amy von Oven (Brad); as well as many grand nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 9:30am until a Funeral Service begins at 10:00am Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, Pensacola, FL, with Chaplain Ralph Molyneux officiating. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park. If you are able to attend this service, please wear animal print as a tribute to Kay.

Pallbearers will be David Richardson, Rylan Richardson, Clay Simpler, Clifton Drake, Cody Glass, and Tyler Glass.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Partin Place Senior Living, Niceville, FL, and Emerald Coast Hospice.

These verses sum up Kay’s hope found only in Jesus: Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me will never die…” John 11:25-26