RIP Bill Basom

It will strike many of you who know me as more than a little ironic that I am writing of a minister in such glowing terms. So be it. One could talk about his contributions to his family, church and community, (and they are many and substantial), but I prefer to stick to my own experiences with him. As with most of my tales, this one has a Star Wars beginning: It was a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I was a kid just starting high school and very interested in philosophy, politics, and religion, (I was a weird kid). My good friend Ken knew of this, (and shared those interests), and invited me to attend the Youth Fellowship group at the local Methodist Church, promising debates and discussions about the usual Douglas Adams topics: Life, The Universe, and Everything. I attended a meeting and was hooked. Bill Basom was the minister, and every Sunday at 6:30 he’d host a group of us youngsters for a few hours of such talks and bull sessions, punctuated by an occasional game, or weekend outing. This kept up all through high school, and I loved every minute of it. What debates! And what friends I made, still active today, many decades later, and that will last till the end of my life. And we’re still debating, (I’m looking at you, Moana…). Mr. Basom was always generous with his time, intelligent in his (mild) supervision and direction of our discussions, and infinitely patient. (I suspect he found me, and my arguments, to be alternately amusing and exasperating, (the story of my life)).


And the weekend outings were wonderful! There were a variety of picnics, hikes and adventures. He introduced me to the climbs along the Billygoat Trail at Great Falls, and canoeing on the C&O Canal – two of my all-time favorite activities for which I will always be grateful. I’m grinning as I type this, the stories and memories of past adventures just flooding into my remaining brain cells.

He knew I’d not followed along a religious path, but he was never condemning. And we maintained contact decades afterward. He passed away last weekend. It was not unexpected, nor unusual, given his age. But it is still a loss, and I hate losing. The world isn’t quite as intelligent or interesting to me as it was. I learned a lot from him (perhaps not in ways he’d foreseen), and I miss him.