Wilben Crawford Bass

August 21, 1931 - January 15, 2026

Wilben Crawford “Will” Bass peacefully passed into the next life on January 15, 2026. Will was born in Rosewood, NC, to V.N. and Smithie Bass, the youngest of nine children. After graduating from Goldsboro High School, he went to East Carolina and graduated in 1954 with a degree in Industrial Arts Education. He taught for a year in Hopewell, VA, before being drafted into the Army. Even in the Army, he was a teacher, serving in the Education Center in the Army base in Bamberg, Germany, in 1956 and 1957.

A chance encounter with a young woman named Betty Mills on the bus line from Raleigh to Goldsboro and Wilmington led to a lifelong love between the two of them. They were married in 1958 and settled in Raleigh. Within a couple of years, they had moved into their home on Shelley Road, and he was teaching Industrial Arts at Martin Junior High. They became parents in 1961 with the birth of David, and their family grew again in 1964 when Paul was born. When Will decided he wanted to get out of teaching in the early 1970s, he went to night classes and summer school at UNC-Chapel Hill to get his Master's of Education degree. He then went to work for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a Title 1 administrator until his retirement in 1987.

Will viewed his retirement as a time to become more active with the things that interested him the most. He and Betty traveled in the US, Canada, and Europe, and he continued to travel after her death - sometimes with friends, sometimes with family, and sometimes solo. He became intrigued with creating with Plexiglas and other acrylic materials - everything from bird feeders to nameplates to wildlife carvings, starting a hobby that turned into a craft business. He was deeply interested in photography, capturing scenes from his travels, birds in the backyard, and flowers wherever he found them, especially at the Raulston Arboretum.

A charter member of North Raleigh United Methodist Church, he remained an active member of the church for the rest of his life, serving on countless committees, helping to found the JOY seniors group, taking photographs of church events, and being a faithful participant in worship and Sunday School.

But more important than what he did was the way he lived. Although aphasia hindered his speech for his final years, his mind and memory remained sharp, and his spirit of curiosity and creativity never wavered. He treated everyone he met with kindness, empathy, and respect, no matter who they were or what their station in life. He found a way to make a connection and find some common ground with everyone, and greeted everyone with a smile and an open heart. He was always encouraging and would lovingly support you as you found your own path through life, rather than trying to impose his idea of what your path should be. He truly made the world a kinder and better place each day.

Will is survived by his son David and wife Julie of Raleigh, son Paul and his wife Lyn of Newcastle, Maine; his grandchildren Drew (and wife Tori), Allison (and husband Gary), and Tally, his great-grandchildren Jack and Ruby, many nieces, nephews, and extended family, and the many friends he made throughout his life. Special thanks to the staff at Magnolia Glen, who loved and cared for him while he was a resident, and to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Rex Hospital, who always provided compassionate care for him during each of his visits.

Funeral is at 1 PM on Thursday, January 22, at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Rd., with reception to follow. The service is available for live or later viewing at www.nrumc.org/livestream.