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The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Al Bass died; renowned South Jersey coach
Al Bass, 95, an outgoing man and renowned coach at Camden and Woodrow Wilson High Schools, died Saturday.
Mr. Bass died of natural causes, according to his son, Myles.
"He was a big fixture in South Jersey sports for a lot of years," said Tom Curley, the former Haddon Township football coach who for 15 years was Mr. Bass' golf partner.
Mr. Bass, who was born in Philadelphia, was the Camden High baseball coach from 1939 to 1943, compiling an 85-15 record and winning three city championships and three conference titles. He was Camden's boys' basketball coach in 1942 and 1943.
Mr. Bass is probably best remembered for his work as the basketball coach at Woodrow Wilson, which he directed to a 122-39 record from 1944 to 1949. In that span, Wilson won five NJSIAA South Jersey titles, along with the NJSIAA state Group 3 crown in 1949.
In the 1949 state final, Wilson edged favored Hillside.
"I was a young kid, but I remember that game like it was yesterday," Myles Bass said. "Hillside was four inches taller per man, and our center was 6-foot. At that time, no one knew what a press was. He pressed periodically that season, but in that game, he used a press from the start of the game to the end - and Hillside didn't know how to handle it."
Myles Bass said Wilson basketball and baseball players would always be at his house, "hanging out" or staying for dinner and "discussing strategies. . . . They loved him."
Mr. Bass' baseball teams at Wilson were highly successful, putting together a 105-21 record and winning five South Jersey titles, four conference championships, and five city-series crowns from 1944 to 1949.
Mr. Bass was the head of the South Jersey Golf Association and a high school basketball and football referee.
Myles Bass remembers Thanksgivings that revolved around sports.
"Thanksgiving in our house was going to the Camden-Wilson football game in the morning, and then he would officiate the Vineland-Millville game in the afternoon, and then it was over to Kenney's Restaurant for dinner," Myles Bass said. "Tom Kenney used to coach Camden Catholic and he owned the restaurant."
Mr. Bass, who was director of the Camden city Recreation Department from 1950 to 1960, was Wilson's athletic director from 1945 to 1970, and Wilson's dean of students from 1959 until his retirement in 1977. After he retired, he worked for his son in his academic tutoring and consulting business.
"He was by my side every single day of his life for the last 35 years," said Myles Bass, a former teacher at Penn's Wharton School of Business. "I didn't want him sitting around after he retired, and he helped me do a number of things."
Mr. Bass was named to the South Jersey baseball, basketball and coaches' halls of fame. In 1994, the NJSIAA presented him with an award for outstanding contributions to New Jersey high school golf.
Until about four years ago, Mr. Bass was a longtime golf partner of Curley's. Mr. Bass was the former club champion at Iron Rock, now known as the Pennsauken Country Club.
"Al was a pure gentleman of golf," said Curley, the former Haddon Township football coach. "He was a fun-loving, outgoing guy who loved to talk, loved to laugh, loved to kid with people."
Mr. Bass is survived by his son, Myles; a daughter, Judith; and two grandchildren.
Relatives and friends are invited to 11:30 a.m. services tomorrow at Platt Memorial Chapels, 2001 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill. Services will begin at noon.
Interment will follow at Crescent Memorial Park in Pennsauken. Shiva will be observed until 9 p.m. at the Moorestown home of Myles and Marianne Bass.
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-854-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1912 - 2008 (95 years)