Theme park designer Ira West has died

MALIBU, Calif. — Ira West, formerly of R. Duell & Associates passed away on May 21, 2017. He was 78.

A former set designer for MGM, West worked with Randall Duell designing theme parks built in the 1960s through the 1980s, eventually working his way up to president. Some of West’s projects include the design of Frontiertown at Cedar Point, AstroWorld, Worlds of Fun, the two Marriott’s Great America parks, and Parc Asterix.

West also providing concept design for large attractions such as Magic Mountain’s Great American Revolution and Hersheypark’s Sooperdooperlooper. West created a scale model of the terrain, determined where everything should be placed, then turned the design over to Intamin who then engineered the coasters. West also developed the concept for converting the Turn of the Century roller coasters at both Great America parks to Demon coasters with the addition of two vertical loops and new themeing.

Funeral services were held on May 25, 2017, in the TaNaCH Chapel at Mt. Sinai Hollywood Hills.

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