Thomas Langston Bass

Thomas Langston Bass died on Thursday, November 03, 2016 of complications from Parkinson's Disease. A native of Melbourne. FL, he came to Macon in 1963 to practice law with Anderson, Walker & Reichert, a firm founded in 1855. Among his passions was music. In early childhood he began to play the saxophone in the school band, attended the Interlocken Music Camp in Michigan for two summers as a teen and played in the Duke University Orchestra while a student there. He became a charter member of the Middle Georgia Concert Band and remained a member for 10 years also serving as attorney for the Macon Symphony and as vice president of the Macon Concert Association. An avid student from early years he graduated as salutatorian of his Melbourne High School (FL) Class and entered Duke University where he earned both B.A. (with honors in history) and JD degrees. In the summer of 1961 he attended a program at Oxford University in England where he met his future wife, Patricia Walker Bass. He was an adjunct professor of Business Law at Mercer University for a number of years which he greatly enjoyed. Tom truly loved meeting and getting to know people from all walks of life and from many countries. He began his love for travel by joining a group of college students who under auspices of The Experiment in International Living went to live with families in Austria for a summer. Later, Tom was president of the Macon chapter of The Experiment (currently known as World Learning) which brought groups both of students and professional people to Macon for home stays. The Bass family has been greatly enriched by the friendships of many visitors to our country and has maintained contact, revisited and rehosted many of them. Intrigued from his youth by the game of Contract Bridge, Tom furthered his interest by participating in games at the Macon Duplicate Bridge Club as well as informal bridge gatherings with friends and family and tournaments in other cities. In mid life he and his wife began to enjoy bicycling and they furthered this interest taking a number of bicycle trips both in this country and abroad finding it a wonderful way to see the world and meet interesting people. A large number of civic organizations in Macon have benefitted from Tom's dedicated hard work and enthusiasm. He served on the Board of the Kiwanis Club of Macon where he was a member for 50 years, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the J. Clay Murphey Society and Chair of the Emergency Management Act Board of the United Way, as President of the Macon Council on World Affairs, Chairman of the Macon Bibb County Library Board of Trustees, President of the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Stratford Academy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wesleyan College where he had served as board member and committee chairman for over 20 years. Also benefitting from Tom's endeavors are the Carling Foundation, the Loveday Foundation, The Georgia Industrial Home for Children and the Ocmulgee Greenway Commission. A dedicated member of Vineville United Methodist Church for 59 years, he has taught Sunday School, served as President of the Webb Fellowship Sunday School Class, served as Church Treasurer, and Chaired the Music Committee. Professionally, Tom was a member of the Macon Bar, the Georgia Bar and the American Bar Associations. He chaired the Committee of the State Bar of Georgia which prepared a jurors handbook for courts to use. In 2003 Tom was honored by the Macon Bar as the Lawyer of the Year. In 2013 he was honored by the State Bar for having practiced for 50 years. Tom's birthday falls on October 31st and became the occasion of an annual gathering of a group of close friends who became known as the FOTs aka "Friends of Tom." There exists an archive of antic memorabilia commemorating some of these occasions. Those friends have been precious to Tom. Until Tom was unable to travel, he and Tricia spent a month in Bonnieux, France each September for ten years. These times of bicycling to neighboring villages, attending markets, enjoying the food, the beautiful countryside and the culture and people were a highlight of Tom's life. Finally, a word about the grace and fortitude with which he faced the challenges of Parkinson's Disease and the blindness which afflicted him from 2013. From the time of his diagnosis in 2001 he never complained or asked "Why me"? He was cooperative and compliant with recommendations from the doctors. And he was considerate of family and other care givers trying not to create trouble for them. He could always find something to be grateful for despite his trials. A memorial service will be held at Vineville United Methodist Church on Monday, November 7, 2016 at 11:00AM led by Drs. Jimmy Asbell, Jr., Don Kea and Samuel Rogers. A visitation will be between 5:00-7:00PM on Sunday, November 6, 2016 at Hart's at the Cupola, 6324 Peake Road. Tom survived his parents, Dora Evelyn and William J. Bass and is survived by his wife, Patricia Walker Bass and three children: Leslie Tucker Bass of Austin, TX, Thomas Langston Bass, Jr. (Betsey) of Savannah and Charles Walker Bass (Mary) of Nashville TN. There are four beloved grandchildren, Patricia Sadler Bass, Jackson Bennett Bass, Thomas Langston Bass III, and Carey Bryan Bass. The care givers have been wonderful and the family especially appreciates Mattie Richardson, Shirley Jones, Keshandre Cole, Denee Scott, Tanya Sledge and Elestine McElroy. Also having given excellent service are Tyrone Johnson and Stoney Johnson. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to Vineville United Methodist Church, 2045 Vineville Avenue, 31204, Wesleyan College, 4760 Forsyth Road, 31210; The Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Ste. 1509, NY, NY 10018; or the charity of one's choice. Register online at www.hartsmort.com. Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola has charge of arrangements.