| Notes |
- 3B3232151321. Wallace R. Bassett - born 10 Feb 1918 in New Haven, Connecticut, died 16 Jul 2005 in Connecticut.
The North Haven Citizen, 22 Jul 2005
Wallace R. Bassett
Wallace R. Bassett, 87, of Bassett Road, North Haven, died July 16, 2005, at CT Hospice of Branford. He was the husband of Helen (Paulson) Bassett.
Born in New Haven Feb. 10, 1918, he was the son of late W. Irving and Catherine (Sause) Bassett.
Mr. Bassett worked as a compositor for the New Haven Register for 50 years until retiring in 1983. He had served as a corporal in U.S. Army during World War II and was the recipient of the Purple Heart and the African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon. He was a member of the American Legion, Murray Reynolds Post No. 76, the V.F.W., the Society of the 3rd Division, the D.A.V., and was active with the Memorial Program of the Four Chaplains. He was also a charter member and past president of the Foxon Recreation League, past commander of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a member of the North Haven Senior Center, and a retired member
of the 2nd Company Governors Foot Guard. A parishioner of St. Frances Cabrini Church, the served as an usher for over 40 years and on the bingo committee for over 25 years.
He is survived by his children and their spouses, Francis "Wally" Bassett and his wife, Donna, and Helene Simjian and her husband, James, all of North Haven, and Carolyn McMillian and her husband, Lorren "Mac", of Hamden; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Russell "Babe" Bassett.
Services were held July 20 from North Haven Funeral Home to St. Frances Cabrini Church. Interment, with full military honors, followed in All Saints Cemetery.
Donations may be made to The Chapel of Four Chaplains, 1201 Constitution Ave., Philadelphia Naval Business Center, Building 649, Philadelphia, PA 19112, or the CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405.
The North Haven Citizen, Monday, 1 Aug 2005
Sad Goodbye to No. Haven's exceptional public servant
By Nathan Fisher, The North Haven Citizen
A veteran, an activist, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a North Haven institution. That's how many are remembering Wally Bassett after he passed away earlier this week due to an infection.
An active member of North Haven's American Legion, Bassett served as post chaplain. He was a former post commander, and as second district commander worked with 35 posts in southern Connecticut.
"We appreciated Wally, we're going to miss him," said Charley Morrissey, the current second district commander. "Wally was a quiet man, but he was powerful. His words carried a lot of weight."
Bassett was a member also of the Four Chaplains Association, a group that honors the memory of four chaplains of different faiths who sacrificed their lives for their fellow soldiers when their ship was sunk by German torpedoes during World War II. In 2004, Bassett won the Boyd-Saxton Award
for outstanding chaplain, and just recently was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Four Chaplains Association. Unfortunately, Bassett was too ill to recieve the award. Morrissey said that the American Legion plans to present the award to his family this September.
After Bassett became uncomfortable driving at night, Morrissey began giving him rides to American Legion events and meetings of the Governor's Foot Guard, another military organization the two were a part of. As chaplain, Bassett was very involved with sick veterans, health education
and performing services for deceased members.
"Wally was a good friend," said Morrissey. "He never had a bad word for anybody. The work he did wasn't just about remembering dead people, he was trying to show a connection between their virtues and the world today."
Just weeks before his death, Bassett marched in the North Haven Memorial Day Parade and read services at the war memorials in town. He attended a rally in Hartford to advocate for more benefits for veterans returning from the current war and was pictured with Governor Jodi Rell.
As a soldier, Bassett took part in the amphibious landing on the shores of Italy at Anzio. He served as a radio operator and received the Bronze Star for valor, the purple heart, and numerous other ribbons.
"He had a lot of love for other people," said Morrissey. "He was one of my best friends."
Bassett's granddaughter Christine Lumbra lives in Hamden. She said that just three days before he passed, Bassett was working at Auto Electric at his job delivering auto parts.
"He was a hard working man," said Lumbra. "But his family always came first. Wherever the kids were, Grandpop was there. It was very seldom to see him without a smile on his face."
A consummate public servant, Bassett made sure that the values of community service stayed in his family. Lumbra is a member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and serves as a mentor. She attributes her spirit of community directly to her grandfather.
"He taught us a lot about volunteering," said Lumbra. "He didn't have any hobbies, any time he had he spent volunteering. The one thing he always told me was: 'The one thing you definitely own outright is your name. So you have to take care of it.' I always remembered that."
That value resonates with First Selectman Kevin Kopetz.
"Wally, besides being a good, kind, gently and decent human being, exemplified through his life the best qualities of being an American citizen and a member of the armed forces," said Kopetz. "He was devoted to this country, to those who served valiantly on his behalf, as is clearly evident in such events as the Four Chaplains services. He was and will always be an institution in North Haven."
Third Selectman Janet McCarty grew up in Taunton, Mass., the same port that the four chaplains, whom Bassett revered, left from on their ill-fated voyage.
"He was of of the faces of North Haven," said Third Selectman Janet McCarty. "HE loved the town. He felt very strongly that one of the reasons he fought so hard was so that towns like North Haven could exist. He took his citizenship very personally."
Lumbra held her grandfather's hand as he passed away last week.
"It was an honor," she said. "He held mine plenty of times over the years."
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Bassett Family Association Database
1918 - 2005 (87 years)