Mary Wilhelmine Basham

Mary was born on May 29, 1920 in Bellingham, Washington to Judge and Mrs. Edwin Gruber. After attending Mills College in Oakland, California, Mary graduated from the University of Washington. After graduation, her love of adventure beckoned her to learn how to fly a Bi-Plane A-6 and she even tried out for the WASP’s (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots). Following WWII, she was employed by the War Department in Frankfurt, Germany where she met her husband, then Captain M.H. Basham. They were married in Rome, Italy in 1946 and remained married until his death in 1997. Mary and her husband continued living in Europe while he was an attaché to the embassies in Rome, Warsaw, Prague, and Vienna. Daughter Judy was born in Rome in 1947. Following his assignments, the couple moved to Coalinga, California where her husband accepted a teaching position with West Hills College. Their son Clint was born in Coalinga in 1955. Mary joined the Coalinga Unified School District where she taught high school English for the next 18 years. Throughout most of her life Mary devoted herself to the study of piano both during her years in Europe and later with Alan Rea in Fresno. Mary was a longtime member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) serving as local area President and initiated the local AAUW government club and served in many other capacities. Mary and her family also spent many happy summers at Lake Samish near Bellingham, Washington visiting with local relatives and became an avid rower.

Mary was an active reader and there wasn’t a crossword puzzle she couldn’t master. She loved tennis, music and live theatre. Mary and her husband enjoyed hosting many social events at their home including their well-known bridge games. She was also active in Coalinga’s American Field Service Program serving as local area President. Mary and her husband traveled the world for many years and after his death she and her daughter Judy continued to travel internationally together. In Mary’s lifetime she had visited the 7 continents of the world.

She is survived by her son Clint