Michael Spencer Bassis

Michael Spencer Bassis, 79, passed away on January 9, 2024 surrounded by his daughters. He was a resident of Greenspring Senior Living in Springfield, VA. He moved there in the summer of 2023 to remain close to his beloved wife, Mary Bassis (neé Wilson), who had recently moved into memory care for her advancing Alzheimer's. They celebrated their 46th anniversary at the end of December.

Michael was born in New York City to Lewis and Barbara Bassis. He spent most of his school years in Harrison, NY where he was a star athlete. Young Michael loved baseball most of all. He was a star pitcher of the Little League and Babe Ruth leagues in Harrison and Stockbridge, MA, and was even scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates! Fearful he was on track to be more of an athlete than a student his parents encouraged boarding school. Michael attended Deerfield Academy for high school where he was both an athlete and a scholar. He went on to get a BA from Brown University and a PhD from the University of Chicago, both in Sociology. While at Brown, he was a titan of the lacrosse team; and was an avid fan for the rest of his life.

Michael enjoyed a long and successful career in higher education, advancing from Professor to Dean to college President. He has said "I spent a good deal of my time, and experienced considerable success, promoting experiential learning throughout the curriculum. His most fulfilling and most successful years were spent helping small liberal arts colleges and universities redefine themselves. His last role was as the President of Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT, where he retired in 2012.

Michael (and Mary) loved to travel and collect art, which filled their home. After retirement, he also picked up the paint brush, an activity he enjoyed in both high school and college, and started creating beautiful works of his own. Michael and Mary's last big adventure was a six month cruise around the world, traveling from Los Angeles to London, but was cut short by the start of the worldwide Covid pandemic. From childhood, Michael enjoyed sailing and racing other sailboats (even when the other boats didn't know they were in a race). The family enjoyed many sailing trips with Michael at the helm.

Michael is survived by Mary, as well as his four children: Betsy Bassis, Christina Bassis, Jessica Roth and Nicholas Bassis. Michael also leaves behind eight grandchildren, two sisters, and a loving extended family.

Michael was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather who will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

A memorial service is being planned for July 2024. In remembrance, Michael would have asked that any donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org).