John Bass Obituary

Bass
John T. Bass
1926 - 2017
John Tracy Bass, 91, was born on May 29, 1926 in Oconee, IL to Edgar and Clara Bass. He passed away on November 5, 2017. He was the youngest of seven children, having three older brothers and sisters.
John graduated from Pana (IL) High School in 1943. He promptly enlisted in the Navy and subsequently spent 32 months in the pacific Theater during WWII. He was proud to have served as a yeoman's mate aboard Admiral Richard Byrd's flagship, the USS Mt. Olympus.
Returning home after the War, John continued his education by completing his undergraduate work at Tennessee Temple University, and then pursuing graduate studies at Loyola University, Chicago, and the University of Chicago. His management specialties were in the fields of Industrial Psychology, Personnel/Labor Relations and Human Resources.
For nearly forty-five years John served in organizations as diverse as the Wagner Malleable Iron & Steel Company in Decatur, IL to the Interlake Steel & Fabrication Company, Moody Bible Institute and Christian Booksellers Association in Chicago and finally, as the Executive Director of the Henry Parsons and Susan Coleman Crowell Foundation in Colorado Springs.
All who knew John would agree he was first and foremost a people person. His gentlemanly and gregarious personality never faded, even as progressive dementia robbed him of a once vibrant mind.
His priority in life was his beloved wife of 59 years, Betty, who passed away in May of 2006. He was also preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters. John is survived by his son John (Nancy), treasured grandson Timothy (Ivonne) and the indescribable joy of great-grandchildren Nathalie and Micah.
John was blessed to have met a second love, Elinor Kruger, with whom he shared many special moments during the later years of his life. Finally, his family grateful for the kind, caring and compassionate staff of Brookdale Village and Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care.
A celebration of John's Life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 10:00 AM, Friday, November 10, 2017, with a lunch buffet to follow. Private inurnment will follow at a later date.
John's faith and dedication to the Lord were paramount to him. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs in which he served as a Deacon, Elder and Trustee or the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation.
"But as for me, I know my Redeemer lives and one day I will stand with Him." Job 19:25-26.