Gordon Allan Bass

MADISON-The world lost a gym rat when Gordy Bass died of complications due to interstitial lung disease on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. Gordy wants to be remembered for the way he lived, not for how he died. It could be said that the greatest tribute in life is the number of friends one has and the number of people one touches during their lifetime. In that regard Gordy was truly a winner. Gordy was born in Madison on Jan. 26, 1943 to Carl S. and Irma C. (Gleason) Bass. He was a proud east-sider who graduated from the Madison East High School Class of 1961. His “glory years” were when he was playing on the varsity basketball team from 1959-1961. After high school, Gordy attended UW-Oshkosh and Madison Area Technical College, and then worked for 36 years in accounting and purchasing for the Madison Metropolitan School District until his retirement in 1999. He believed in employee unions and gladly served as the vice president and president for the "SEE Group" of Madison Teachers Inc. After retirement from the school district, he drove cab in Madison and was a proud member of The Raymond Group team for two years. Gordy loved sports, especially Wisconsin high school and college basketball. He achieved his goal to become a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) basketball official and for 33 years refereed more than 1,200 high school games, including 12 WIAA state championships. He also worked for 21 years as a college basketball official and was a member and past president of the Southern Wisconsin Officials Association. An important achievement for Gordy was also working on the scorer's table at the UW-Madison Men’s basketball home games. He not only served as the timer but coordinated table personnel at both the Field House and the Kohl Center for 40 years before retiring due to ill health. It was his pleasure to coordinate the scorer's table and be the timer at the WIAA State Basketball Tournaments for 38 years. For 40 years, Gordy was the scoreboard operator at Camp Randall Stadium for the UW-Madison Badgers' football games. In 1999 Gordy was enshrined as an official in the Wisconsin State Basketball Coaches (WBCA) Hall of Fame and in 2014 received the "Friend of Sports" recognition by the Madison Sports Hall of Fame. Gordy is survived by his wife, Kathy (Straseski); former wife, Mary Bass; their children, Kari (Randy) Campshure, Shari Chaffee (Shannon McNamara), Norman (Eileen) Bass, Eric Reif, and Lori Bass; grandchildren, Calvin Chaffee, Nathan Campshure, Julia (Brian) Culles, Willie Docherty, Mary Jane and Nicole Endres; five great-grandchildren; and in-laws, Bill (Cynthia) Beynon, Amy (Bill) Hulbert, Luci (Steve) Tischer, Mary (Les) Schraufnagel, Mike (Dorine) Straseski, Jane (Gordy) Otto, and Peggy (Robert) Scott and their families. He also leaves behind many friends. Two of his best friends were his officiating partners, Fred Kinney and Dave Kelliher. Gordy was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Carol Beynon; nephew, Timothy Beynon; and niece, Suzanne Beynon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Ave., Madison, at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, with Father Jay Poster presiding. Burial will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be held at GUNDERSON FITCHBURG FUNERAL HOME, 2950 Chapel Valley Rd., Fitchburg, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Please wear your favorite Badger clothing to the visitation on Thursday. Visitation will also be held at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass on Friday. The family requests that memorials be made in Gordy’s name to Agrace HospiceCare or to the Madison East High School Booster Club Scholarship, Attn. Judith Parrish, 2222 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53704. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Fitchburg Funeral & Cremation Care 2950 Chapel Valley Rd. (608) 442-5002