Earl was born on April 18, 1943, in Orange, NJ. He was the only son of Ernest Earl Harvey West and Inez Marie West. He attended the East Orange School System from elementary through high school. He was an exceptional athlete excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. He held and broke many records. He attended West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas. He was recruited and briefly played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Norfolk Neptunes of the Continental Football League. He earned a Master's Degree in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He married Janice Hopkins in 1967 and from that union Malik Karim was born. Earl had an extensive work history in corporate America working for companies such as American Express and Engelhart. In New Jersey, he worked as a teacher and guidance counselor at Camp Kilmer, Project SEED, Manpower, the Adult High School in East Orange, and strictly as a guidance counsel in the Newark Public School System for many. He was an avid entrepreneur and loved giving presentations. Upon retiring in New Jersey, he moved to Florida. He worked as a guidance counselor in Silver Lakes Middle School and Dillard High School. He retired from the Broward County School System in June, 2014. Earl leaves behind a son, Malik West and daughter-in-law Christie, two granddaughters Zoe and Ava; a sister, Gail Johnson and nephew Tarik Johnson; an ex-wife, Janice West; a brother-in-law James Hopkins; and a cousin Jason Holt as well as many friends and relatives. Earl will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.