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- East Lawn Palms Mortuary & Cemetery
James Wesley Bass Jr.
January 13, 1945 ? September 15, 2026
James Wesley Bass, Jr. passed away on September 15, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. He was 81 years old.
Jim, as he was known to friends, family, and co-workers, was the first-born son of James and Alma Bass of Bauxite, Arkansas. He entered the world on January 13, 1945 in Waco, Texas and was the eldest of five boys. He grew up in various places across the country, on account of his father's service in the US Air Force, such as Alamogordo, Tucson, and Little Rock. After finishing high school, he spent a year in central Europe while his father was stationed in Germany. Upon returning home to Arkansas, he decided he wanted to join the US Navy as an officer. Only two universities in the region offered an ROTC program - the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma. Due to a long-standing animosity towards Texas on account of his Arkansas heritage and the heated rivalry that existed at the time between Arkansas and Texas as Southwest Conference foes, Jim opted to enlist at OU where he graduated in 1969. He met at university the woman with whom he had a six year marriage, which produced two children.
After being commissioned as an ensign in the Navy and undergoing training as a navigator, Jim was stationed in Hawaii with deployments in Japan and the Philippines. In 1973, Jim was honorably discharged from the Navy and began to study nursing. Around this time, Jim converted to Catholicism and his devotion to the Church would be a central facet of his life until the end. After completing his nursing degree, he was hired by Griffin Memorial Hospital, the psychiatric institution where he worked for around twenty years. In 2001, Jim moved from Norman, Oklahoma to Tucson, Arizona, getting a job at the University of Arizona Medical Center. He continued to work at U of A Medical through its purchase by Banner Health.
Throughout his life, Jim had a passion for travel - both stateside and abroad. He loved to take vacations with his sons, both when they were children and when they were grown. Jim's favorite travel spot was Sedona, Arizona.
Jim was heavily invested in his health, and was a staunch supporter of 'health food' and 'alternative medicine' long before they became mainstream, and was particularly drawn to the health benefits of fasting.
Jim's zeal for charitable giving was substantial. Although the bulk of his financial contributions tended to be faith-based, what he was most committed to giving was the gift of his blood. As a universal donor, Jim donated blood regularly and as often as he was allowed.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Byron. He is survived by his two sons, Sean and Adam; his three brothers, Jackson, Steve, and David; four granddaughters, Christina, Amanda, Nicole, and Madeline; and Kathryn Bass, the mother of his children.
The funeral will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, September 23, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Tucson, Arizona. His ashes will be interred at a later date in Norman, Oklahoma.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1945 - 2026 (81 years)
d. 7 Dec 1995, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona