David Martin West (Ngāti Rangiwewehi and later acknowledged as Ngāruahine) was born on January 6, 1944 to Kathryn (Katie Wetini) and Raymond West in Rotorua.
He was one of six children - however, his father would later marry Cora and have one more child, bringing the total to seven. David, also known as Dave or Westy, spent his childhood in Rotorua and later moved to Taranaki, serving in the army for a short time.
In Taranaki he worked as a forestry worker in Te Wera and made numerous friends with a lot of the men on site. Up until his last days, he still had forestry mates he would see on occasion. Dave and his fellow workers would often venture to Stratford for their time off, and it was there he met and fell in love with Alison Ngataierua, who worked in the kitchen at the County Hotel.
Dave swept her off her feet, and soon after they married and began their life together. Soon they would welcome the first of their five children and moved to their forever home once their oldest son was 6.
Along with raising their five children, David and Alison were foster parents and would often take in children who needed a home. They were known to take in youths who often had tough lives and needed somewhere to lay their heads.