Amerigo "Rick" Bassi
Faleceu
Amerigo "Rick" Bassi
Amerigo "Rick" Bassi passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, May 14, 2017 at the age of 100. Born February 18, 1917, in New York City, the oldest son of Italian immigrants, Antonio Bassi and Paola Guardincerri. Raised in Manhattan's Little Italy and later The Bronx, Rick entered the Army Air Corps during World War II. As a second Lieutenant and Navigator of the B-17 "Phyllis Marie", Rick was forced to bail out of the aircraft after taking fire from German FW-190s on March 8, 1944, and spent the remainder of the War in Stalag Luft One, a German prison camp near the Baltic Sea.
Upon repatriation and return to New York, he rekindled a relationship with Nazarena "Frances" Signorini and they married on January 11, 1947. Their first child, Richard, was born in New York in December of that year. Rick was offered an opportunity with his employer to move to Topeka, Kansas in 1950 working for Preferred Fire Insurance (later American States). Two more children were born there, Patricia in 1951 and Michael in 1953. Rick enjoyed working in his vegetable garden and taking the family on driving vacations every August; living in the center of the United States in Kansas, he would take the family Chevy north to Minnesota, south to Galveston, TX, east to Maine, or West to Seattle and the National Parks in Arizona, Utah, South Dakota and Colorado. But his favorite vacations were to the beaches in Miami where he loved to float in the Ocean.
Rick was transferred west again in 1969 with American States Insurance Co to Seattle. He continued working full-time there until he retired in 1982. He also retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Lt. Colonel and enjoyed attending various reunions with other World War II prisoners of war as well as the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Museum functions. After retirement, Rick played a lot of golf with his wife and their many friends and continued traveling to far-flung places like Australia, Portugal, the Caribbean, and to visit his myriad relatives in Italy. He loved family and strove to keep his home and traditions intact throughout his long life.
Rick was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Frances, sister Bobbie, and two younger brothers, Guy and George. He is survived by his children Richard, Patty and Michael; grandchildren Marie, Mark, Allison, Tommy and Jillian; great-grandchildren Elizabeth and David. The family wishes to express their profound gratitude to Bozena for her devoted caregiving the last 4 and one-half years of Rick's life.
Memorial services on Friday, June 16: military honor ceremony
at Tahoma National Cemetery, 10:30 am and funeral mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Seattle, 2:00 pm
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the 390th Memorial Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Rd, Tucson AZ, or any in Rick's memory.
Sign Rick's online
Guest Book at www.Legacy.com
Amerigo "Rick" Bassi passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, May 14, 2017 at the age of 100. Born February 18, 1917, in New York City, the oldest son of Italian immigrants, Antonio Bassi and Paola Guardincerri. Raised in Manhattan's Little Italy and later The Bronx, Rick entered the Army Air Corps during World War II. As a second Lieutenant and Navigator of the B-17 "Phyllis Marie", Rick was forced to bail out of the aircraft after taking fire from German FW-190s on March 8, 1944, and spent the remainder of the War in Stalag Luft One, a German prison camp near the Baltic Sea.
Upon repatriation and return to New York, he rekindled a relationship with Nazarena "Frances" Signorini and they married on January 11, 1947. Their first child, Richard, was born in New York in December of that year. Rick was offered an opportunity with his employer to move to Topeka, Kansas in 1950 working for Preferred Fire Insurance (later American States). Two more children were born there, Patricia in 1951 and Michael in 1953. Rick enjoyed working in his vegetable garden and taking the family on driving vacations every August; living in the center of the United States in Kansas, he would take the family Chevy north to Minnesota, south to Galveston, TX, east to Maine, or West to Seattle and the National Parks in Arizona, Utah, South Dakota and Colorado. But his favorite vacations were to the beaches in Miami where he loved to float in the Ocean.
Rick was transferred west again in 1969 with American States Insurance Co to Seattle. He continued working full-time there until he retired in 1982. He also retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Lt. Colonel and enjoyed attending various reunions with other World War II prisoners of war as well as the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Museum functions. After retirement, Rick played a lot of golf with his wife and their many friends and continued traveling to far-flung places like Australia, Portugal, the Caribbean, and to visit his myriad relatives in Italy. He loved family and strove to keep his home and traditions intact throughout his long life.
Rick was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Frances, sister Bobbie, and two younger brothers, Guy and George. He is survived by his children Richard, Patty and Michael; grandchildren Marie, Mark, Allison, Tommy and Jillian; great-grandchildren Elizabeth and David. The family wishes to express their profound gratitude to Bozena for her devoted caregiving the last 4 and one-half years of Rick's life.
Memorial services on Friday, June 16: military honor ceremony
at Tahoma National Cemetery, 10:30 am and funeral mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Seattle, 2:00 pm
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the 390th Memorial Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Rd, Tucson AZ, or any in Rick's memory.
Sign Rick's online
Guest Book at www.Legacy.com
Fonte: Seattle Times
Publicado em: 05-06-2017