George "Buzz" Westfall (March 19, 1944 – October 27, 2003) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solici ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He served in the elected offices of

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

(1978–1990) and

County Executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as ...

(1991–2003) of St. Louis County, Missouri. He died, while in office, of ''Staphylococcus aureus'' meningitis at the age of 59. Westfall grew up in

public housing Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...

in St. Louis. He attended

St. Louis University High School St. Louis University High School (SLUH) is a Jesuit Catholic high school for boys. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest secondary educational institution in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, and one of the largest private high schools in Miss ...

and graduated from

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

with his BA and JD degrees. After completing

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

, he took a position in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's office as an assistant prosecutor. In 1978, Westfall was elected as head Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County. Westfall was re-elected in 1982 and 1986 without opposition. In 1990, Westfall was the Democratic nominee for the County Executive's position, and he defeated incumbent H.C. Milford in his bid for re-election. Westfall was re-elected County Executive in 1994, 1998, and 2002. In October 2003, less than a year into his fourth term in office, Westfall died after developing a

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion ...

staph infection. Westfall was survived by his wife and three grown children. Following Westfall's death, his friends and family established a charitable enterprise, the Buzz Westfall Memorial Fund, in his honor. The Memorial Fund, later renamed The Buzz Westfall Charitable Foundation, was a non-profit enterprise established to further Westfall's legacy of bettering the community through charitable works. The Foundation raised funds via an annual golf tournament, among other various events, with proceeds going directly to various charities. Westfall Lane, a street in

Jennings, Missouri Jennings is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 12,895. Geography Jennings is located at (38.721100, -90.261428). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area o ...

, was dedicated to the memory of Mr. Westfall in early 2004. In 2006, the Buzz Westfall Plaza On The Boulevard opened for business, anchored by a new Schnucks supermarket and Target, on the site of the deteriorating Northland Shopping Center in Jennings. Other memorials include the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri,Fernandez, Manny, and John Eligon
"Man, 20, Is Arrested in the Shooting of 2 Officers in Ferguson"
New York ''Times'', March 15, 2015. Justice Center mentioned in passing. Retrieved 2015-03-16. and the Buzz Westfall Memorial Highway, a portion of Highway 364 in St. Louis County. Westfall served a total of 35 years in St. Louis County government, including 24 years in elected office.

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