Hubert Dale “Sam” Bass, EOCS, USN-ret., passed away on July 13, 2019 at the age of 88 years old. He loved God, his family, and his country.
Born June 23, 1931 in Goldsboro, North Carolina, to Benjamin Hubert and Lydia Jones Bass, Sam grew up working on his family’s dairy farm alongside his five siblings. It was there that he developed the earnest and determined work ethic that would carry him through his life.
On St. Patrick’s Day 1952, Sam went on a blind date with a young Edenton lady named Peggy Ann Pollard. The two fell in love and “Earth Angel” would be “their song” for the next 67 years. Sam and Peggy married in 1955 and would go on to have six beautiful daughters.
In 1953, Sam’s distinguished 26-year military career began when he was drafted into the Army on April 20. He fought in the Korean War and was discharged in March 1955.
Upon returning home from Korea, Sam was inspired to enlist in the Navy after seeing John Wayne star in the film “The Fighting Seabees.” The film introduced Sam and many others at the time to the new naval branch after which the movie was named. (Peggy was and remains an avid John Wayne fan to this day.)
As a heavy equipment operator in the Navy, Sam traveled the world building roads and bridges in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He was an expert marksman on the M16 rifle and .45 caliber pistol, and served as an instructor for the CATM combat arms training course. Additionally, he volunteered for a special duty assignment as a Navy recruiter.
In 1969, Sam was deployed to Vietnam. There, he formed bonds with men whose names he would never forget and whose stories he would go on to share regularly with his grandchildren decades later.
His proudest military accomplishment was serving on the Presidential Detail at Camp David under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Sam received a Presidential Service Award for his time there.
Sam retired from the Navy in 1979 from NMCB 62 (Gulfport). He settled his family in Gloucester, where he resided for 38 years. His second career was as a Fleet Safety Director at Smithfield Foods, Inc., where he increased the company’s safety and driving record. He retired after 14 years.
As a father, he exemplified integrity and loyalty. He found “teaching moments” for his girls in life’s everyday routine. Always an avid gardener, later in life Sam shared this hobby with his young grandchildren. Carolina BBQ and Reese’s Cups were two of his favorite things. He loved taking his Ford pickup truck for long drives on country roads with his beloved dog, playing the lotto, and listening to George Jones.
Ask any of Sam’s children or grandchildren what motto he lived his life by, and they will give you one resounding answer, the Seabee saying: CAN DO. When other people think of Sam, they often describe him with the words “mentor” and “hero.”
Sam was predeceased by his infant daughter, Joy Levonne Bass; his parents, Benjamin and Lydia Bass; his siblings, Mary Hunt (Bob), Mildred Johnson (Neil), Robert Bass (Mozelle), Carole Woodard (Milton), Annie Laurie Mandelin (Chuck), and Claiborne Bass.
Sam is survived by his wife of 64 years, Peggy, the “best Seabee wife,” and his daughters, Anita Kay Gardner (Michael), Peggy “Darlene” Cruthirds (Mark), Winifred “Dale” Bass (MSgt, USAF-ret.), Lydia Bass Fuller (James), Cheryl Bass LeMasters (David). Sam is also survived by his grandchildren, Stephanie Nicole Cruthirds-Melancon (Jennifer), Toni Anne Cruthirds (Josiah Urban), Troy “Deg” Alexander Fuller, Jessica Ann Fuller, Meredith Grace LeMasters, Hugh Michael LeMasters, and great-grandchild, Benjamin “Fischer” Cruthirds-Melancon. Sam is also survived by loving numerous nieces and nephews in North Carolina, and his beloved rescue beagle, Misty.
The family would also like to thank the staffs of Memorial Hospital and Deaconess Health Care for caring for him; and a special thank you to the Niagara Wing at the Biloxi Veterans Administration where Sam spent his final days.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation or your local humane society.
A graveside service with full military honors rendered by the United States Navy was held on Friday, July 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the Biloxi National Cemetery. “With Willing Hearts and Skillful Hands, the Difficult We Do at Once, the Impossible Takes a Bit Longer.”
Riemann Family Funeral Home, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport, Mississippi, served the family.