Eddy Bass
May 19, 1947–August 3, 2015
January 19, 2009:
I never would have entertained the thought, 45 years after graduating high school, that I would be electronically dictating a letter, in a Word document form and e-mailing it to my high school’s website along with a digital color photo attachment. Most of these terms were not yet invented. My, my… how times have changed. Like all of you, I have also changed a bit with time and it has been a wonderful journey. I hope it has been that way for most of you.
After high school I went to McGill University and then completed medical school. Halfway through medical school I married Carolyn Schachter, someone who grew up in TMR yet someone I did not meet until College. I finished my neurology training at the Montreal Neurological Institute, did a fellowship in stroke research at Wake Forest University of North Carolina and returned to Montreal in 1976, the year that Rene Levesque took over the reins of our beloved province. We were the only clients on an enormous moving van going back to Quebec. We spent 5 more years in Montreal before returning to the States, where I took a position at the University of South Florida in Tampa. I stayed on the neurology faculty for a few years and then drifted into private practice. I am still working a lot harder than I want to, but I enjoy what I do. My free time is spent dabbling in a variety of art, music and building projects. The last few years I have been busy trying to resurrect a 1941 Ford and turn it into a hot rod.
Carolyn and I have been blessed with 3 wonderful, talented, successful, intelligent, good-looking, etc,, etc., children. All are married, off the payroll and starting their own families. We have five grandchildren with two more on the way. Carolyn has had her own successful career and for the last few years has been the executive director of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, one of the largest in the country. A photograph of our family from a recent get-together is attached.
I think it is wonderful that John has gone to the trouble of setting up this website and maintaining it. Just speaking to him brought back hundreds of fond memories and prompted me to contact old friends. If Tampa is on any of your travel plans, all are welcome. We live on a beautiful fresh water lake with breath-taking sunsets.
Eddy Bass
Eddy passed away on August 3, 2015. Here is the message we received from Carolyn:
We are profoundly sad to announce Eddy's sudden and tragic death yesterday of a massive heart attack. He was healthy, very fit and died at the gym before heading in to do rounds at the hospital. Funeral at Star of David Chapel, 7801 Bailey road, N. Lauderdale fl, 33068. Thursday at 12.
Donations, in lieu of flowers can be made to the Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 Fifth St. S. St. Petersburg Fl 33701, 727-820-0100.
Eddy leaves behind his wife Carolyn, three children and 9 grandchildren.