Dennis West, longtime editor and publisher of The Beacon in Williams Bay, was born on Aug. 31, 1943, in Rockford, Ill. He graduated in 1961 from Rockford West High School and spent the first two decades of his career at WIFR-TV in Rockford — working his way up from sales to general manager and, eventually, president. After leaving WIFR, he attended UW-Madison and earned his journalism degree in 1992.
After graduating, Dennis moved to Lake Geneva, where he started his newspaper career with The (Williams) Bay Times. He later purchased The Beacon, of which he served as editor and publisher for many years. After selling to Southern Lakes Newspapers in 2017, he continued to serve as editor until his retirement in February 2020.
Dennis died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2022, at his Williams Bay home. He was 78. He was survived by his wife, Kathi Bovi, and two sons, Paul and Mark.
