RAY D. BASS

BASS, Ray D., 73, a resident ofMontgomery, Alabama,passed away, Thursday, March22, 2007, in a local hospital. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 24, 2007, at 2p.m. at Alabama Heritage Funeral Home Chapel Rev.George Vinson officiating. Burial will follow in LetohatcheeCemetery. Visitation will beginat 1 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home. He is survived byhis wife, Clara Smith Bass; twodaughters, Beth Bass (Mitchell)Pate, Montgomery, AL, JoanBass (John) Brunson, Athens,AL; one son, Tom (Marilyn)Bass, Guntersville, AL; onebrother, James O. (Pat) Bass;aunt, Geraldine Parker; niecesCindy Bass (Greg) Trawick, Angela (Morris) Henry; nephew,Tim (Debbie) Bass; five grandchildren, Mitch Pate, SusannaPate, Christina Brunson, JillBrunson and Libby Brunson. Active pallbearers will be MitchellPate, Mitch Pate, John Brunson,Greg Trawick, David Reed andDr. Thomas Wool. A native ofSlocomb in Geneva County,Mr. Bass was a 1959 AuburnUniversity civil engineeringgraduate and a U.S. Navy Veteran. Mr. Bass served as highway director during three ofGeorge C. Wallace's four termsas governor (1971-1979 and1983-1987). He worked nearly ahalf century in public service.Among the projects duringBass' service as director are theGeorge C. Wallace Tunnel inMobile, Mobile Bay Crossing,Mobile Delta Crossing, 1-459Bypass in Birmingham, I-565spur connector in Huntsville,Warrior Bridge in Tuscaloosaand the Tennessee River Bridgein Guntersville. He was chief engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation since1995. He was a member of numerous professional organizations including the AmericanAssociation of State Highwayand Transportation Officials,serving in the past on thatgroup's Standing Committeeon Highways and the board ofdirectors of the National Centerfor Asphalt Paving. He was apast chairman of the NationalCouncil of State Railroad Officials. As a proponent of education, he was a founder of Lowndes Academy, president oftheir board of trustees from1965 to 1972, was first presidentof the Alabama IndependentSchool Association and remained active in the privateschool association. In additionto his service at ALDOT, his career also included public service as the county engineer inLowndes, Montgomery, Dallasand Tuscaloosa Counties. Heretired Jun 1, 2005 as ALDOT'schief engineer. Ray Bass was acolorful personality whodeeply loved his family andfriends. He will be missed by all.Memorial contributions may bemade to the Ray Bass AnnualScholarship in Civil Engineering, at Auburn University,Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, 107 Ramsay Hall, Auburn University, AL, 36849-5330or the Ray Bass Endowed Engineering Scholarship at the University of Alabama, Box 870200,Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. Alabama Heritage Directing