Wayne Paul West

June 25, 2013 – August 15, 2026

Services will be held at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, August 20, 2026, in the Archer County Rodeo Arena with Pastor Jon Curry, of Grace Community Church, officiating. Interment will follow on the West Family Property adjacent to the Archer City Cemetery under the direction of Aulds Funeral Home of Archer City.

The family will receive friends and family from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at Aulds Funeral Home.

Wayne Paul West made his unforgettable debut on June 25, 2013, weighing in at 9 pounds and measuring an impressive 23 inches long. At 23 inches, he was already drawing a crowd. As he got older, he became increasingly impatient to catch up to his mom in height, always waiting for the growth spurt everyone promised was coming and fully expecting to pass her up sooner rather than later. From his very first days, though, one thing never needed time to grow - the size of his personality and the space he filled in the lives of everyone who loved him.

As we grew together, from the very beginning, Wayne Paul changed everything for his family. Becoming his parents gave Lauren and Zane a new kind of purpose. His ‘baby blues’ became the center of their world, filling their lives with warmth, belly laughs, life lessons, and more love than they ever knew was possible. From the very beginning, Wayne Paul was their greatest joy and, in more ways than he could have ever known, one of their greatest teachers.

Wayne Paul was an eighth grader at Archer City Junior High, he played football and basketball, ran cross country, and participated in track. On his best day, he loved being outside and being with his friends. Cruising the neighborhood, stealing Dr. Pepper’s out of outside fridges, and pulling pranks. He could usually be found fishing, swimming, riding his bike around town, eating pizza at Lucky’s, playing golf, swimming in Fonda’s or Jordan’s pool, or on his beloved electric scooter, often with a rope tied to it or somehow involved. He loved playing football for the Archer City Wildcats, and was excited to play this season. If it involved his friends, being outside, getting dirty, or finding a little adventure, Wayne Paul was there.

But at his core, Wayne Paul was a cowboy.

He loved to rope. He roped the dummy tirelessly prepping for his chance in the arena. He loved horses. He loved his dogs, Willis & Lou. He loved working with his colts and spending time with his dad getting them ready. He was especially excited about working at his family’s ranch, Three Circle Ranch, in Foard County and looked forward to more days there, becoming part of something that meant so much to him and his family.

On August 15th, Wayne Paul got the horse of his dreams to ride and rope from, like he always wanted. His dreams were too big for this world! And while He planned to attend Texas Tech University, rodeo for the Texas Tech Rodeo Team, become an engineer and have a family of his own, God needed him for something much bigger.

His current junior high grades may not have fully supported the engineering plan just yet anyway, and for that, his family would like to formally apologize to the teachers who worked tirelessly to get him to “lock-in”. The ambition was there, even if the homework, occasionally, was not.

The Baltimore Ravens were his team but he loved going west with his momma to cheer on those Texas Tech Red Raiders more than anything. He loved to travel with his mom. They went fly fishing, saw the mountains of Colorado, whales breach in Hawaii, the white sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast, and was always ready for the next adventure with her. He was the center of her world.

Wayne Paul’s dad, Zane, was his best friend and the person he looked to for almost everything. Their bond was difficult to put into words. Wayne Paul trusted his dad completely, relied on him for guidance and right and wrong answers, and simply wanted to be wherever he was. If Zane was outside working with the horses, Wayne Paul wanted to be beside him. He admired his dad deeply, and in Zane, Wayne Paul had not only a father, but his best friend, one heck of a teacher, and one of his greatest heroes.

He shared another special bond with his Pawpaw Gary, who was also a hero in his eyes. Many of his happiest days were spent at Lake Kemp with Pawpaw and Maga, fishing, sitting on the porch, swimming, and cruising on the boat. Wayne Paul loved being beside his Pawpaw. What may have seemed like ordinary days at the time became some of the most treasured ones for them both.

And then there was his little brother, Monroe.

Wayne Paul loved Mo fiercely, although Mo would probably want it officially documented that his big brother picked on him relentlessly. Beneath all that brotherly torment, though, was an incredibly protective big brother. If Monroe wandered too far, got too close to an edge, or looked like he might be headed for trouble, Wayne Paul noticed. Keeping an eye on Monroe was simply part of who he was. He was so proud of Monroe.

In one of life’s unexpected turns, being unable to participate in track for a time meant Wayne Paul got to be there for Monroe’s first baseball season. He helped coach his little brother, sharing lessons and advice that Monroe will carry with him long after that first season.

His Nonna loved him with that famous, fierce devotion, despite having absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into when it came to little boys. She learned as she went, stood beside Wayne Paul through it all, and did her best to keep up with him and the crew of boys who seemed to come along with him. For his 13th birthday, Nonna rented a cabin for all of them and then proceeded not to sleep a wink, mostly because she knew better than to trust what a house full of 13-year-old boys might come up with if left unsupervised. Wayne Paul and those boys gave her a run for her money every chance they got, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Wayne Paul loved the rest of his family in his own unmistakable way, too. His Aunt Jacee proudly held the title of “cool aunt,” while he and Aunt Katie maintained what could best be described as an ongoing, loving beef. Because Lauren was still in college when Wayne Paul was little and Katie was still in high school, Wayne Paul and Katie grew up almost like brother and sister. They fought like siblings, loved like siblings, and never really stopped doing either. When Katie had Augie, everyone went to see the new baby - Wayne Paul checked on his Katie. He named himself, “Uncle Wayne”.

His friends were family to him, too. Wayne Paul was happiest when his friends were close by. Each and every one of them.

Lastly but most importantly, Wayne Paul loved Jesus, and he loved Him fiercely. His faith wasn’t something he simply knew about; Wayne Paul knew Jesus, loved talking about Him, and never grew tired of hearing more about Him. He asked questions, listened closely, and spoke about Jesus with a sincerity that was entirely his own. Even in his final days, Jesus was on Wayne Paul’s heart and in his conversations. There is so much his family will ache for in the days ahead, but there is also great comfort in knowing that the Jesus Wayne Paul loved so deeply, talked about so often, and wanted to know more and more about is the One who welcomed him Home.

Wayne Paul lived his life full-speed. He had so many plans ahead of him. He was only given 13 years, but he filled those years with an incredible amount of life, and we feel so very blessed God chose us to share him with.

He was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, an athlete, and, through and through, a cowboy.

Wayne Paul was preceded in death by his great-grandmother, Millie Johnson; his great-grandfather, John Glenn Halsell, Jr. (“Sonny”); and his beloved dog and faithful companion, Willis West.

Wayne Paul is survived by his parents, Lauren Halsell and Zane West; his beloved little brother, Monroe West of Archer City, Texas; his grandparents, Gary and Debbie West of Archer County, Donna and Tim Birch of Clay County, and John Glenn Halsell III and wife Kim, of Wichita Falls, Texas; his great-grandparents, Anne Halsell of Crowell, Texas, and Pete Johnson of Henrietta, Texas; his aunt and uncle, Katie and Braydon Ingram, and cousins August & Dempsey of Wichita Falls, Texas, his aunt, Jacee Halsell of Wichita Falls, Texas; and countless cousins, extended family members, teammates, classmates, coaches, teachers, and friends who loved him dearly.

The family suggests memorials in Wayne Paul’s name be made to the Archer City Volunteer Fire Department, Post Office Box 367, Archer City, Texas 76351.