Walter Willetts Bassano

Grave Info : http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=90956954

THE PARIS NEWS, Thu., Sep. 19, 1996, p.10A. ’(Picture) Funeral services for Walter W. Bassano, 89, former publisher of The Paris News, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Sep. 20, at Fry and Gibbs Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Marvin Williams and the Rev. Julian T. Hendren officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-8. p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Mr. Bassano died Wednesday, Sep. 18, 1996, at McCuistion Regional Medical Center. He was born Sep. 6, 1907, in Paris, a son of Walter Willet Bassano Sr. and the former Bird Williams, his father’s family having come to Lamar County from England in 1850. He attended Paris schools including Paris Junior College. He married Georgia B. Mayse April 25, 1936, in Paris. Surviving are his wife; four children, Carol Tant and her husband, Julius ‘Mack’ Tant of Dallas; Pat Bassano and his wife Julie of Paris; Walter Bassano III and his wife Lou Ann of Fort Worth; and John Bassano of Paris; eight grandchildren, Gregory Tant and his wife Deborah of Dallas; Julie Tant and Lauren Tant of New York City; Lisa Bassano of Paris, Brad Bassano and Scott Bassano of Paris; Walter Bassano IV and Kathleen Bassano of Fort Worth; and a great-granddaughter, Hailey Tant. Mr. Bassano was associated with Harte-Hanks Communications 35 years. Harte-Hanks owned The Paris News from 1929 until 1986. He began his newspaper career in 1937 as circulation manager and was promoted to general manager and vice president of the parent corporation, the North Texas Publishing Co. in 1953. Two years later, upon the death of A.G. ‘Pat’ Mayse, his father-in-law, he was named by the board of directors to succeed him as president. As publisher, he assumed the responsibility of pushing to conclusion the campaign long pursued by Mr. Mayse for the completion of the water conservation project which became Pat Mayse Dam and Reservoir. Mr. Bassano was known as a hunting and fishing enthusiast and Houston H. Harte, chairman of the board of Harte-Hanks Newspapers, Inc., presented him with one of the first Weatherby shotguns made upon his retirement as publisher in 1972. He especially enjoyed young people and through his year as circulation manager and 19 consecutive years as a Scoutmaster, he was known by many youth of that era as ‘first boss’ and scoutmaster. A past president of NeTseO Trails Council, he was honored with the silver Beaver Award. He served on Development Board for McCuistion Regional Medical Center’s fifth floor expansion and on the hospital’s Board of Governors for 26 years including a term as chairman. He was honored by hospital officials for his years of service to the hospital in 1986. He worked in United Fund drives from the 1960s through the early 1980s, serving many years as co-chairman of its Pattern Division. He was president of of drives in 1965 and in 1973. A former Chamber of Commerce president, he was honored at its annual banquet in 1972 for his civic service which included heading The Salvation army Advisory Board, the Paris Independent School District Board of Trustees, the Paris Industrial Foundation and director of First Federal Savings and Loan Association. He was a longtime member of the Lions Club and was named Optimist Man of the Year in 1957. He served on the boards of Texas Daily Newspaper Association, Texas Manufacturing Association, Sulphur River Conservation Reclamation District, Pine Creek Water Control and Improvement District, and on the Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System. He was a longtime member of Central Presbyterian Church and served the church as deacon and elder. He was one of four honorees at the Paris Education Foundation’s Feb. 1966 ‘I Love Paris’ gala and a scholarship was endowed in his honor. The family requests memorials be made to the Paris Education Foundation, Walter Bassano Scholarship, 2400 Clarksville St., Central Presbyterian Church, 309 Church St., or to a favorite charity. Named as pallbearers are Joe Ed King, Dick Amis, Dr. James Brunette, Bill Vaughan, Steve Sharp, Roger Evans, Kevin Shackleford, and Robert Stone III. Honorary bearers will be Joe King, W.B. Vaughan, Ray Sissel, Bill Streckert, Don McLaughlin, and Dr. Raymond Armstrong.′
THE PARIS NEWS, Wed., Sep. 18, 1996, p.1A. ‘Lifelong Local leader Walter Bassano dies - Walter W. Bassano, publisher of THE PARIS NEWS from 1955 to 1972, died at 5 a.m. Wednesday at McCuistion Regional Medical Center. Long recognized as a civic leader, Mr. Bassano served in numerous capacities including president of the Paris and Lamar County Chamber of Commerce, president of the Paris Independent School District board of trustees, president of the NeTse0 Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, president of The Salvation Army Advisory Council, and president of the board of directors of McCuistion Regional Medical Center. He was active in United Way drives for more than 20 years and served as its president. Mr. Bassano became associated with THE PARIS NEWS in 1937 as circulation manager and became its general manager and vice president of its parent corporation, the North Texas Publishing Company in 1953. After being named publisher in 1955, he assumed local responsibility for the water conservation program which led to the construction of Pat Mayse Dam and Reservoir. He also served on the executive board of directors of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, the Texas Manufacturing Association, the Sulphur River Conservation and Reclamation District, was state vice president of the Red River Valley Association, served on the board of directors of Pine Creek Water Control and Improvement Association and was vice president of the Paris Industrial Foundation. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Fry & Gibbs Funeral Home. The family will receive friends Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.’