Retired Naval Commander William Robert Westlake, 85, died Sunday, November 29, 2020 at Mayberry Gardens in Denton, Texas.

Bob Westlake was born November 15, 1935 in Granite City, IL to William "Bill" Martin and Eleanor Freida (Somerhalder) Westlake. He was married to Beverly June Grier on June 21, 1957 in Pattonville, MO. He graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with a Bachelor and later earned two Masters in International Relations and International Law and Diplomacy and a Doctoral degree in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.  Bob had a 20 year Navy career as a pilot and was the youngest Commanding Officer of a patrol squadron the Navy had ever had during peace time. He helped start the Political Science Department at the Naval Academy and served as a Naval Representative on multiple U.S. Diplomatic Negotiating Teams serving under Vice Admiral James Calvert, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Ambassador Haydn Williams. He assisted in writing several treaties notably the treaty that eventually relinquished the Panama Canal to the government of Panama and also completed the treaty for the islands of Micronesia to have separate arrangements and independent entities.

After retiring from the Navy, Bob held several international business executive positions with Philips, A.P. Greene, Lear Aviation, Beech Aircraft and American Airlines. He utilized his international business knowledge later in life to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in International Business, Economics and Business Policy at William Woods University in Fulton, MO.

The last 30 years of Bob's life was spent on his farm in Mexico, Missouri and then fulfilling his dream of buying a log home in Grand Lake, Colorado. He eventually lived full time in the mountains enjoying entertaining his family and lifelong friends from around the world.

Bob is survived by his wife Beverly June Westlake; his four children, Robert Westlake of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Leslie Ann Webbe of Argyle, TX, Scott Westlake of Willowglen, CA, Tracy Lynn Frank of Louisburg, KS;  one sister, Sharon Stowers of Centralia, MO; and seven grandchildren, Madeline Hill, Skyler Dougherty, Audra Webbe, Alexandra Westlake, Sheridan Westlake, William Frank, Weston Frank.

William Robert Westlake will be laid to rest with military honors at a graveside service at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 11 a.m. Donations in his memory can be made to any local V.F.W. or the Wounded Warrior Project.