Charles Columbus Bassett III

Charles Columbus Bassett III, 74, grandson of one of the founders of Bassett Furniture Industries, died Thursday, May 14, 2009, in Wilmington, N.C. Mr. Bassett of Mulberry Road in Martinsville, Va., was a retired executive and former board member of Bassett Furniture Industries. He retired from the company in 1999 after 43 years of service. He was born on September 7, 1934, in Bassett, a son of the late John Edwin (Ed) Bassett Sr. and the late Ruby Williams Bassett. He attended Woodberry Forest School and graduated from John D. Bassett High School in 1952 and from North Carolina State College in 1956 with a degree in furniture manufacturing and management. He joined Bassett Furniture Industries in 1957 in production and quality control. He worked in numerous sales positions before being named director of merchandising and design, later being named vice president. A captain in the Army reserve, Mr. Bassett completed eight years of service. He also served on numerous boards around the state and City of Martinsville including Bassett Mirror, Ferrum College and Randolph Macon College. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Martinsville.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, John Edwin (Eddie) Bassett Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Jones Bassett, of the residence; four daughters, Margaret Louis Harmon, of Black Mountain, N.C., Ruth Hunter Turner and Elizabeth Lee Elwood, both of Richmond, and Leigh Bassett Fatzinger, of Wilmington, N.C.; one son, Charles C. (Chad) Bassett IV, of Charlottesville; five grandchildren; and a sister, Roxanne Bassett Dillon, of Bassett.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009, at First United Methodist Church with Pastor Ron Mateer officiating. Entombment will follow in the Bassett family mausoleum.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 17, 2009, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Collins-McKeeStone Funeral Home, Martinsville Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 146 East Main Street, Martinsville, Va. 24112 or to Grace Network, P.O. Box 3902, Martinsville, Va. 24115. Arrangements are by CollinsMcKee-Stone Funeral Home, Martinsville Chapel. For online condolences, please visit www.collinsmckeestone.com