James E. Bassett, 71, of Sheridan passed away peacefully on Wednesday November 14, 2012 at Sheridan Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family.

James was born on November 8, 1941 in Fayetteville, NC the son of Mae Bassett Heckman and Howard A. Bassett Sr. James grew up and attended grade school and high school in Jacksonville, NC. James loved to travel and in his early teen years he often traveled from North Carolina to places as far as New York going east and Texas going south. It was not always with his parent’s approval, but he always made it back home even if some of the times it was with a police escort. James joined the U.S. Army in April 1961 and upon completion of his duty he moved to Torrance, California where he worked in the aircraft industry as an aircraft structural mechanic for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. With the desire to travel he became an over the road truck driver, working for IML Freight Co.and J.B. Hunt Trucking Co. hauling freight from coast to coast until his retirement.

In 1996 James left California and moved to Sheridan to be close to his family. Even though James was no longer a truck driver, he still loved to travel making several trips to the Philippines as well as one special trip to Chicago where he met his future wife Charlene Fronda. James and Charlene were married in 2005.

James was preceded in death by his father and a daughter, Jennie Bassett-Nicholson. He is survived by his wife Charlene, his mother Mae and step father Melvin Heckman of Sheridan, sister Jean Feagins of Canton, Texas and brothers Howard of Fort Collins, Colorado and Charles of Sheridan. He is also survived by his children Jamie of Havre, Montana Robbie and April of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Mark of Phoenix Arizona, as well as numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Jim, I will miss your calls every day and will miss the knack you had when it came to picking NFL game winners. With all your health adversities in life you still were able to live it to the absolute fullest. Thanks for being such a great brother and a big part of my life. God Bless You!! I Love You and I Will Miss You. Charles.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday November 21st from Champion Ferries Funeral Home with Pastor Gary Force officiating. A reception will follow the services at the Sheridan Elks Lodge.

Memorials in memory of James may be made to the D.A.V., Chapter 9, P.O. Box 4051, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801

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