Longtime DC Attorney and Community Leader Ronald David West Dies at 89

West's decades of service to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington helped shape what is now Charles E. Smith Life Communities.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Ronald David West, a Washington attorney and longtime community leader whose service to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington helped shape what is now Charles E. Smith Life Communities, died on Jan. 10 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was 89. West's involvement in Jewish communal life began in the early 1970s, and he eventually became board chairman from 1997 to 1999, supporting the organization's growth into a continuum of care for older adults.

Why it matters

West's commitment to the Hebrew Home, later Charles E. Smith Life Communities, reflects the important role community leaders can play in shaping local institutions that serve vulnerable populations. His decades of service helped guide the organization's evolution from a nursing home to a comprehensive care facility, ensuring it could continue fulfilling its mission of caring for older adults with dignity.

The details

Over time, West assumed increasing responsibility at what was then a nursing home on the brink of expansion. He served on committees, advised senior staff and eventually became board chairman from 1997 to 1999. Those who worked with him said he brought a collaborative approach to an institution serving elderly and vulnerable members of the Jewish community. During his years of service, the institution grew into a continuum of care that included independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care.

  • West first became involved with the Hebrew Home in the early 1970s.
  • He served as board chairman from 1997 to 1999.

The players

Ronald David West

A Washington attorney and longtime community leader whose service to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington helped shape what is now Charles E. Smith Life Communities.

Eric West

Ronald David West's son.

Natalie West

Ronald David West's daughter-in-law and a former board chairwoman of Charles E. Smith Life Communities.

Ilene Gordon

Ronald David West's daughter.

Charles E. Smith Life Communities

An organization that provides a continuum of care for older adults, which evolved from the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington where Ronald David West served.

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What they’re saying

“He was an excellent listener. He would hear all sides and then work with people to find solutions.”

— Eric West, Ronald David West's son

“It was very important to him that the organization stay vital and continue to serve older adults with dignity. That mission spoke to him, and he gave his time and energy to it.”

— Natalie West, Ronald David West's daughter-in-law and former board chairwoman of Charles E. Smith Life Communities

“He came from immigrant parents and working-class people who helped each other. He saw the Hebrew Home as an extension of that worldview — that we take care of our own.”

— Eric West, Ronald David West's son

The takeaway

Ronald David West's decades of service to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, now Charles E. Smith Life Communities, demonstrate the vital role community leaders can play in shaping local institutions that serve vulnerable populations. His collaborative approach and commitment to the organization's mission of caring for older adults with dignity helped guide its evolution into a comprehensive care facility.