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James Bassett Obituary, Find-a-Grave
James was born on February 23, 1940 in Pittsburgh, PA to James E. Bassett a steelworker and Ruby Wofford Bassett a homemaker. James was called home to his heavenly reward on October 28, 2018 after a brief illness.
He was the oldest of eight children and raised in Glen Hazel Heights public housing. He distinguished himself as a scholar athlete in high school. He was given a scholarship to play baseball and basketball at Shaw University where he also pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. While matriculating at Shaw, he was drafted by the US Army to serve during the Vietnam war and was trained as a sharpshooter. Upon discharge, he returned to college and married his college sweetheart, Geraldine Joyner, and from this union, three children, Kimberly, Odetta, and James were born.
After graduation, James was employed as a social caseworker and worked in many capacities in the Anti-Poverty Programs. He also worked part-time at the Rahway State Prison as a counselor. In 1968, he began a 24 year career at AT&T in purchasing and supply chain management. Upon retiring from AT&T, James helped shape and serve as a role model to young people, black males in particular. James, an avid non-fiction reader, was deeply concerned about issues of social justice, equity, and opportunity, and committed the rest of his life to service and ministry. He also imparted his interest in art, music and sports to his children with his particular love for jazz, painting, and tennis.
Upon relocating to Atlanta, he became a teacher, affiliated with the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, and married Dorothy Mae Sizemore. In 1996, James joined Delta Airlines in Group Sales, found a new calling, and remained at Delta until his passing. His spiritual evolution transformed his later life by increasing his devotion to bible study, stewardship, evangelizing, and prayer. He answered the call of a prayer intercessor and had a deep personal relationship with God. James was a faithful member of New Birth?s Levite Prayer Ministry. Virtually everyone that met him was changed by an encounter with him. He actively engaged his life as living testimony to the transformational nature of his Christian walk. His ministry and agape love will be sincerely missed. As a devoted believer with an unwavering faith, he fully accepted and embraced the belief that ?to be absent from the body is to be present with Lord.?
James was a loving father and brother survived by his three adult children Kimberly (Washington, DC), Odetta (Greensboro, NC), and James (Orlando, FL). He also has three sisters, Deloris Miller, Barbara Ann Gantt, Evelyn Franklin ( Pittsburg, PA) and his brothers Ronald Bassett (Atlanta, GA) and Andre' Bassett (Washington, DC). His is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews and his loving New Birth family.
Celebration of Life Services will be held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Rd Lithonia Ga 30058 on Friday November 2, 2018 at 11:00 AM. He will be laid to rest at Georgia National Cemetery on Monday November 5, 2018 at 11:30 AM. Family and friend may visit from 10 AM to 8 PM on Thursday November 1, 2018 at the South Dekalb Chapel of Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home.
Please express your condolences here on our website. Services entrusted to Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home, South Dekalb Chapel. 4347 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Decatur Ga 30034. 404-241-5656.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1940 - 2018 (78 years)