John Elliott Bass of Iola died Monday, Sept. 5, 2011, peacefully at home.
John was born in Iola on Feb. 26, 1924, the oldest of two sons born to John Samuel and Edithe Elliott Bass. He attended Iola schools before joining the United States Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Following training at Fort Riley, Kan., and Camp Lockett in Campo, Calif., he was a radio operator in the famous 10th Calvary, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, serving in North Africa, Italy and France.
After his discharge from the Army, he returned to Iola and worked for Lehigh Portland Cement until it closed in the early seventies. Later employment included Country Lanes Bowling and the Iola Housing Authority.
In 1947, John married Rosemary I. Whitfield of Newton, Kansas. To their union were born three children: Jennifer Diane, John Arthur, and Jay Andrew.
John loved sports. He played basketball for the Iola Green Dragons, coached junior bowling, and umpired youth softball and baseball games for several decades. He was an avid bowler and organized bowling teams for tournaments from Reno to Springfield. A favorite annual activity was attending the KU Relays. John and his brother Wendell also enjoyed trips to the NAIA basketball playoffs. In his later years, John proudly earned medals and tee-shirts in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
John was preceded in death by his brother, Wendell Maurice, his son John, and his son-in-law, Herman McKenzie.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Rosemary; children, Jennifer and Jay, daughters-in-laws, Dionne and Barbara; four absolutely perfect grandchildren, Keesha (Corey) Ball, John Silas, Emily Rose and Madeline Jaye; sisters-in-law, Phyliss Bass and Peggy (George) Day; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Service and memorial information was published in Thursday’s Register.