William Ray Basham

Ray was born on October 16, 1943, in Nashville to William Edward Basham and Loretta Mai (Price) Basham, both also of Nashville. He was one of those now rare Nashville natives who loved to reminisce about old Nashville.

Ray joined the Army in 1961 and was stationed in Germany just prior to the Kennedy assassination. In 1964, he returned to Nashville and in 1966 joined the Metro Nashville Fire Department, where he attained the rank of District Chief. After 35 years of service, Ray retired in 2001.

Ray was a member of the Centre Star Lodge in Whites Creek. He loved the lodge and his brothers, enjoying participation in the annual BBQ fundraiser. He bought many tickets, helped with cooking and packaging, shared BBQ with friends, and found great joy in making his BBQ delivery rounds. Ray was a Master Mason 32nd Degree Scottish Rite and a Shriner.

Ray appreciated his neighbors and enjoyed helping everyone with household fix-it chores. He often remarked that he could fix anything but a broken heart.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Carolyn Jean Edwards. He is survived by his sister Ilda Virginia Denney (Bruce Binkley), his brother Carl Edward Basham, his wife of 25 years Susan Akin Basham, his sons Eric Todd Basham (Melissa) and William Stokes Basham, his daughter Stephanie Rae Basham, his grandson Andrew Todd Basham, and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Visitation and Celebration of life with the family will be on Sunday, December 8th from 1 PM to 3 PM at Mount Olivet Funeral Home & Cemetery, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. A private interment will take place at a later date.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the following organizations that Ray loved so much:

• Box 55 Association (serving Nashville firefighters in the line of duty): Box 55, PO Box 202, Madison, TN 37116, or online at Box55.org.

• Centre Star Masonic Lodge: PO Box 276, Whites Creek, TN 37189.