Zella Marjorie (Snyder) West

No Visitation is planned. Burial will be at Prairie Lawn Cemetery at Spaulding. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Redwoods, 40 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, California, 94941.
Zella Marjorie Snyder West was born in Creston, Iowa, on February 8, 1917 and died in Mill Valley, California on January 11, 2010. She was descended on her mothers side from Eugene Rene Biossat, the first post-Civil War mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana, elected in 1868.
She married James Bernard West (J. B.), from Afton, Iowa, on November 25, 1942, and moved to Washington, D.C., where her husband worked in the Ushers Office at the White House. Soon after, they moved to Arlington, Virginia, where they raised their two daughters, Kathy Langhoff, of Sequim, Washington, and Sally McGrail, of Fairfax, Virginia. After her daughters became teenagers, Zella worked as a secretary at Kenmore Jr. High School and for the Arlington County School Board. After retiring, she and J. B. moved to Falls Church, Virginia, where, with her assistance, he wrote “Upstairs at the White House”, which became a national best seller. J. B. dictated, and Zella typed. In the book, J. B. described his wife as “the incomparable Zella,” and that she was, always sweet, kind, and happy. They toured throughout the United States promoting the book, with J. B. appearing on many radio and television shows.
After her husbands death in 1983, Zella moved to Mill Valley, California in 1990 and resided at The Redwoods retirement center thereafter. Zellas great love in her life were her family and three grandsons, Matthew Langhoff of Anchorage, Alaska; Christopher Langhoff of Centralia, Washington; and Michael Gordon of Mill Valley, California. She is survived by her daughters, their husbands, Jim Langhoff and Bill McGrail, her three grandsons, and a brother, John Snyder of Charlottesville, Virginia. Zella was preceded in death by her twin sister, Mary Kathryn Barker, her brother, Louis Snyder, and her husband, to whom she was married for 40 years.
Zella was a woman of bright spirit and generous heart. Her family thanks all the friends and caregivers at The Redwoods who helped Zella. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Redwoods, 40 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, California, 94941.