| Notes |
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesotga, Saturday, 9 November 1996
Reverend George Bass
The Rev. George Bass believed it was important for a preacher to look worshipers in the eye.
"He never used any notes in the pulpit," his wife, Doris, said. "He tried to teach his students that, too, so they'd have better eye contact. He told them to preach to the people, not read to them."
Bass, 76, a Lutheran pastor who taught at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, died of pancreatic cancer Wednesday at Midway Hospital in St. Paul. He had been in apparent good health until about 10 days ago, when he complained of feeling sluggish.
"He taught lots and lots of students how to preach, and he was one of the first to use videotape when it first came out," Doris Bass said. "He'd show them what they did wrong - how they'd scratch their nose or never look up.
"He came home sometimes after a long day and said, 'Wow, did I hear some today!' "
He was an interesting and effective preacher himself, she said, blending the Gospel with illustrations taken from his life and extensive travels.
But George Bass Jr. often urged his father to be more concise.
"When he was a little boy, our son had a stopwatch," Doris Bass said. "He would time him and then at dinner tell him how long he preached." The preacher thought he shouldn't go longer than 15 minutes, and his son agreed.
Bass was a fly fisherman, "but he always threw them back," his wife said. "We used to kid him and say he just caught the same fish every time."
He was born in Scranton, Pa., on Oct. 18, 1920. He was educated in Philadelphia schools and received his doctorate from Temple University. He did postdoctoral work in Scotland, Italy and England.
He served churches in Pennsylvania and Kansas before joining Luther Seminary. He wrote 17 books and many articles on theology. He retired in 1989.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by a daughter, Donna Nelson; a brother, Robert, of Tucson, Ariz., and three grandchildren.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. today at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Av., St. Paul. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Memorials are preferred to the church and Luther Seminary.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1920 - 1996 (76 years)