Thomas Myrthen Bassett Jr

Thomas M. Bassett Jr.

SYRACUSE - Our beloved father, grandfather, brother, friend and mentor Thomas M. Bassett Jr. passed away peacefully due to complications of cancer on January 3, 2013 in his home with his family by his side.

A good and faithful son of our Heavenly Father, Tom was born on May 21, 1929 to Myrthen and Henrietta Bassett in Rexburg, Idaho. He was raised in St. Anthony, Idaho where he would recount memories of swimming in the Snake River and eating ice cream sundaes at the local drugstore.

Tom left St. Anthony to attend the University of Utah and received his bachelor''s degree in Invertebrate Zoology. During his college years he took a break to serve an LDS mission in Eastern Canada. Tom also served two years in the Army where he began his training in dentistry. He went on to graduate from the University of Kansas City with a doctorate in dental surgery.

Tom settled in Clearfield, Utah and owned a family dentistry practice for 40 years.

He was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fulfilling many leadership callings including eight years as the Bishop of the Clearfield 4th ward.

Bishop Bassett has many accomplishments: He received his eagle scout in his youth, he held the North Utah Tennis Championship in 1969. He has spent many hours on the ski slopes, the tennis courts and the golf courses. He played for his mission''s basketball team which beat many of the major Canadian colleges and took the Eastern Canadian Championship. He took and graduated with a four year correspondence degree in law and has taken many postgraduate courses in hypnosis.

He enjoyed playing the piano, watching the Utah Jazz and was a great dancer, having performed many exhibition, floor shows, and TV programs.

He was active in his dental society where he served as treasurer, secretary, president elect, President and as a delegate for several years.

He loves the gospel and the scriptures. He memorized and could recall over 300 scriptures. He was writing a book on the gospel and had some articles published in the church magazines.

He was a great organizer, very humble, quiet and loving. We will most remember his sense of humor and his laugh. He loves to be with his family and his greatest joys were his 13 children, 23 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

He is survived by his children Tommy Bassett (AJ), Brooke Pace (Jeff), Tawnya Nelson (Ryan),Connie Moultrie (Brett), Kathy Rogalla (Doug), Douglas Bills (Michelle), Chris Bassett, Diana Harding, Billy Bassett, Becky Bassett and Brendon Bassett. His parents Myrthen and Henrietta Bassett, his son Kym Bassett, daughter Carolee Bills, brother Richard Bassett, sister Ruth Bassett and his ex-wife Kay Bassett precede him in death.

Funeral services will be held Monday, January 7, 2012 at 2 p.m. at Lindquist''s Layton Mortuary, 1867 N. Fairfield Rd. Friends may visit with family on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. prior to services at the mortuary. Interment, Lindquist''s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Road, So. Ogden.