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- Jewish Times, Baltimore, Maryland, Friday, 1 February 2013
Judge Howard Gary Bass
BALTIMORE CITY District Court Administrative Judge John Hargrove Jr. said there are two types of people in the world: those with character and those who are a character.
City District Court Judge Howard Gary Bass held the best attributes of both, Judge Hargrove said. Judge Bass, known for his humor and friendliness from the bench and toward his colleagues, died Jan. 22 at Good Samaritan Hospital a.er suffering a heart attack at home. He was 70.
Judge Bass spent nearly 30 years on the Baltimore City District Court bench before being forced to step down from full-time work in November due to the state's mandatory 70-year-old retirement age. He was to be honored by his peers with a dinner at Sammy's Trattoria in downtown Baltimore on the day of his death.
"We thought he just had the flu," Judge Hargrove said. "He called and said he was under the weather and asked us to reschedule. Not long after, we got a call [that] he had died. He was so loved by everyone in the court system. His approach to the bench was unique, yet very effective. He loved what he did and would still be working full time if he wasn't required to retire."
Born in Baltimore, Judge Bass graduated from City College in 1960 before he earned his bachelor's degree in 1964 from what is now Loyola University Maryland. Judge Bass went on to graduate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1967 and was admitted to the bar that same year.
Judge Bass served in private practice for a short time before joining the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office in 1970. He was promoted to deputy state's attorney in 1983. Then-Gov. Harry Hughes appointed him to Baltimore District Court seven months later. "Judge Bass considered it an honor to be a judge, and it was very much a part of his life," said Baltimore City District Court Judge Kathleen Sweeney, a close friend.
Judge Hargrove said that Judge Bass would often use humor to help lighten the mood of those in his courtroom, especially for those nervous about being in court for the first time. Judge Bass garnered laughs, said Judge Hargrove, when he called out the names of famous people during traffic court. This backfired one time in the1980s, however, when he called out for Oliver North, a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal. Coincidentally, an attorney from North's law firm happened to be in the courtroom and was worried that either his client or his client's son had missed a court appearance. "There are just so many stories like that involving Judge Bass," Judge Hargrove said. "He was humorous in his approach, yet very effective. He was a jokester, but took his work very seriously."
Baltimore City District Court Judge Catherine Curran O'Malley echoed those sentiments.
Judge O'Malley said Judge Bass always offered insight into how to become a better judge. This was especially true for Judge O'Malley early in her judicial career; she was appointed to the bench in 2001.
"Having come from the [State's Attorney's Office in] Baltimore County, Judge Bass helped me feel welcome in the city," Judge O'Malley said. "He was always bringing in pretzels and coffee for the judges and would talk with me about the news of the day."
Judge Bass was so well-known and respected within the legal community that he was named "Best Judge in the City" by Baltimore Magazine. A framed copy of the article hung in his chambers.
"He had a packed funeral," said Baltimore City District Court Judge Barbara Waxman, another close friend. "We see a lot of sadness and ugliness on a daily basis in this job. Gary found a way to make sure we smiled every one of those days."
A member of Beth Tfiloh Congregation, Judge Bass' funeral services were held at Sol Levinson & Bros. in Pikesville. He is survived by his wife, Sarah (nee Sokolsky), and his stepfather, Harry Brotman of Pikesville. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his name to the charity of your choice. JT
Ron Snyder is a JT staff reporter rsnyder@jewishtimes.com.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1942 - 2013 (71 years)
d. 10 Dec 2002, Baltimore, Maryland