Basil Doerhoefer Iii

1934 - 2020

Basil Doerhoefer III

New Albany - Basil Doerhoefer III, 86, died peacefully on September 20, 2020, in New Albany, Indiana. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on August 5, 1934, and resided in Louisville until he moved to New Albany in 2015.

Basil was beloved by all who were fortunate to have known him. He will be remembered for his caring and gentle nature, his love of entertaining and celebrating with family and friends, his incredible style and for his devotion to his children and to all of those dear to him.

Basil graduated cum laude from Male High School in Louisville, where he was a member of the Athenaeum Literary Association. He received a bachelor's degree in geology from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, in 1956, where he was a member of the Pi Alpha Nu Honor Society and where he served in the ROTC program. He later served in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Basil worked for many years as one of only two geologists at the Louisville Gas and Electric Company. He was the President of the Geological Society of Kentucky in 1976; previously serving as the Western Vice President in 1970 and Secretary/Treasurer in 1966 and 1967. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed the time in nature that he was able to spend during his work for LG&E in the field. He enjoyed boating on the Ohio River and long-distance bicycle rides with his family and was a member of the Louisville Wheelman Bicycle Club. He was artistic and loved art and design and visiting museums and art galleries. He had a great passion for architecture and often spoke of pursuing architecture as his next career. He also enjoyed music and dancing. He was interested in all aspects of the world and loved traveling and learning about new cultures. His curiosity about life was an inspiration to his children.

Basil was the son of the late Basil Doerhoefer II and Mary Elizabeth (Tuell) Doerhoefer, of Louisville. He was the great grandson of Basil Doerhoefer, a highly successful tobacco merchant and an influential real estate developer in Louisville. Preceding him in death were his beloved sister, Nancy Tuell (Doerhoefer) Mason, and his nephew, Herbert Mason Richardson. His husband and long-time partner, Michael S. (Johnson) Doerhoefer, passed away shortly after Basil. Basil is survived by his loving children and grandchildren - daughters Mary Gail Doerhoefer and Sarah Elizabeth Dellolio; sons Basil Tuell Doerhoefer and his wife Anna Doerhoefer, and Alan Marshall Doerhoefer and his wife Sarah Morrow; grandchildren Harper Ray Parr and Thomas Doerhoefer Dellolio; and by his nephew David Tuell Richardson.

Basil has been laid to rest with his family at the beautiful Doerhoefer site at Saint Louis Cemetery in Louisville.

Expressions of sympathy may be made, with much appreciation, to the Speed Art Museum, https://www.speedmuseum.org/support/.