William G. Bassett

Easton William Goward Bassett, 91, of Easton and Edgartown, died Sunday, June 22, 2008, in Easton after a brief illness. He was born April 22, 1917, in Stoughton, a son of William Nelson and Maina Ellen (Neale) Bassett, and graduated from Stoughton High School in 1934. In 1941, he married Tufelia "Tee" Mazukina of Bridgwater and moved into their new home in South Easton. He worked for rubber companies during the war effort and shortly thereafter joined the George Knight Company in Brockton as purchasing agent until his retirement in 1985. Bill joined the Boy Scout program in 1929, earned countless scout badges, was named an Eagle Scout and served as Scout Master in Easton and Camp Squanto in Carver. He was vice president of the Executive Board of the Old Colony Council and was awarded many prestigious scouting citations, including his induction into the New England Scouting Hall of Fame in 2006. Bill served as a member of the Easton Board of Appeals from 1953 to 1992 and was a past officer of the Unity Church in North Easton. He and his family enjoyed trips covering all 50 states, summer vacations on Martha's Vineyard and trips to Europe. Throughout the years, Bill photographed every family and scouting event and faithfully labeled and scrapbooked them. Other hobbies included surf-fishing, boating and landscaping and maintaining his Easton and Martha's Vineyard homes. Surviving him is Tee, his wife of 67 years; a son, Geoffrey W. and wife Patricia (Butler) Bassett of Easton; a daughter, Bonnie E. Healey and husband Leonard of Whiting, Maine; a granddaughter, Kathleen M. (Bassett) Young and husband Gary, and their children, Shannon, Bryan, Christopher and Jeffrey; and great-grandson Tyler Bassett, and his mother, Vickie (Guerreiro) Bassett, all of Easton; and many nieces and nephews. Bill was predeceased by a grandson, Geoffrey W. Bassett Jr., an infant brother, Theodore Bassett and brother Gordon W. "Bob" Bassett, of Edgartown. Visiting hours will be Tuesday, June 24, from 4-7 p.m. at the Kane Funeral Home, 605 Washington St. (Rte. 138), Easton. Burial arrangements will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's memory may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472. For directions and condolences, visit www.kanefuneralhome.com.