William Henry Bass III

William Henry (Hank) Bass III, 69, died on March 4 in Memphis. The son of Henry and Clara Bibb Bass, Hank spent his formative years in Munford, playing Little League baseball and high school football (cheered on by his dad); dining at the City Cafe (where he always started with pie); shooting the breeze (and perhaps filling up a car) with Wash and Oscar at his father’s service station; and watching Westerns (which left him with an autographed picture of Lash Larue and a lifelong crush on Miss Kitty “the most beautiful woman in the world”). He always considered his an idyllic childhood in the one-stop town where everybody was a friend or relative. Munford was a community that, to his chagrin, never let him forget his misspent youth, but also embraced him, especially after the sudden death of his mother when he was a child.Hank loved history. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate (ABD) in historic preservation at MTSU. He used his education in positions at the James K. Polk Historic House Museum (Columbia), The Tennessee State Museum (Nashville), The Chattanooga Regional History Museum, and the Legal History Center at the State Bar of Texas (Austin). He was general editor of a middle school history textbook published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, and he taught American history at the college level at UT, Chattanooga.His daughters, Kate and Mary, were the sun and the moon and the firm foundation of Hank’s life. He also loved Elvis and Muddy Waters, and he exercised his creative spirit through landscaping. He had a tender heart for the underdog and a gentle deference with old folks. He had a sparkling intellect, a wry sense of humor, a horror of weak coffee, and unshakable loyalty. Though they occasionally broke his heart, he loved the Vols, the Blues, and his girls.Facing a cancer diagnosis, Hank drew upon a strength of character forged through his life experience. He found a resolve to endure pain and loss‚ keeping his sense of humor throughout. He took comfort in the support from his daughters, his sister, and lifelong friends. Hank is survived by Kate and Mary and their mother, Randal, and his sister, Susan Griffin, and her family, Terry, Claire, Emily, Reagan, and Henry. Friends and family are invited to a memorial service at First Methodist Church, Munford, on Sunday, March 17, at 2:30 pm, followed by a reception and time for celebrating his life.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to UPLift. After retirement, Hank enjoyed volunteering with the UPLift assistance program at University Presbyterian Church, Austin. To donate: https://tinyurl.com/give-to-upc (donors should designate “UPLIFT Fund” and note "Bass memorial” in the memo field.)Read Obituary