Louise Basore

Anna “Louise” Basore of Nichols Hills, beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother went to join her Heavenly Father on May 6, 2025, at the amazing age of 95. Louise was born on March 4, 1930, in Cleveland, Oklahoma to Lucille and George Davidson. She graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 1948 and began college at Central State University. During college, she married her first husband, and from that union had two daughters, Susan and Jan. After the marriage ended, Louise devoted herself to raising Susan and Jan on her own. During that time, she joined First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, worked for the City of Oklahoma City water department, and then Manhattan Construction Company, where she met and married the love of her life, R. Finley Basore. Louise and Finley had a loving marriage and raised a blended family, with Finley bringing three daughters into the home: Leslie, Sue Ellen, and Janet. Louise and Finley then had one daughter together, Laurie, and raised the six girls in a busy, one bathroom home. While Finley worked for Manhattan Construction Company, they moved from Oklahoma City to Richardson, Texas, for a short time, and then to Mobile, Alabama, where they lived for almost 20 years. While in Mobile, Louise completed her college degree at the University of South Alabama – diligently attending one class at a time over a period of many years – and became a bookkeeper for the Associated General Contractors. Louise was the consummate social chairman and friend to all in every neighborhood in which she lived. Greeting you with a smile and a laugh, she developed lifelong friendships that she nurtured and cherished until the end of her life. Upon Finley’s retirement in the early 1990s, Louise and Finley returned to their original house in Oklahoma City, and Louise hit the ground power walking – never missing a beat as she cherished community in her longtime OKC friends, her church, and her role as “neighborhood ambassador and CEO.” Lousie quickly became a valued church volunteer, serving as a member of the “kitchen crew,” dressing the church for holidays, singing with her beautiful soprano voice in the “old folks choir” and devoting significant time to the church’s community clinic, even learning Spanish at the Village Library to overcome the language barrier she encountered assisting the clinic’s patients. Louise’s enthusiasm enabled her to excel in all these areas while continuing as a bookkeeper at T.J. Boismier’s industrial plumbing company until her “retirement” when she transitioned to working at The Red Fox in Nichols Hills Plaza as well for as her daughter Dr. Susan Sundari Ramseyer’s practice. Louise was fiercely independent, and her boundless energy was legendary. She worked in her yard, mowed her grass, cleaned out her gutters/swept the roof and attended exercise class at Crossings Community Center until her early 90s. She was a beloved presence in the neighborhood, known for her daily vigorous walks - usually with a big, happy black dog on leash and sometimes in a full length mink coat – along Avondale and Grand Boulevard. Besides church, cleaning her house was her respite. For Louise, everything had a place and if it was out of place, it was at risk of the trash bin. She was widowed for 30 years but was extremely routine and always busy. In the last 6 months of her life, the one consistent she was able to maintain was her Friday afternoon 1:30pm beauty shop appointment with Brenda at the Nichols Hills Salon and Spa. She deeply loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was purposeful on birthdays, holidays and family gatherings, with her signature dishes, lively decorations, and coordinating holiday clothing! As much as she loved all of us, dogs held a special place in her heart. One of her many side helps was at Acre View Pet Hospital, where she sent out flyers for new clients and aided with bookkeeping. She even helped with pet adoption, as she brought home a senior dog who was surrendered to ensure he didn’t live out his life in a crate. Predictably, every conversation began with “how are you,” “how are the kids,” and “how are the dogs?” She probably wanted to start with the dogs, but was too polite in that way. We will miss her daily but take comfort knowing from her strong faith that she is where she is needed now, reunited with Finley, likely with a big dog by her side and a treat in her pocket.

Louise was proceeded in death by her husband Finley, her parents Lucille and George Davidson and brother Richard Davidson. She is survived by her children Leslie Basore, Sue Ellen Basore, Janet McLauglin, all of Atlanta, Susan Sundari Ramseyer, PhD (Mark Becker) of Edmond, Jan Ramseyer-Fees (Rusty) of Edmond, Laurie Bennett (Mark) of Oklahoma City, her grandchildren Aislinn Willander (Dustin) of OKC, Slade Miller of Austin, Texas, Emily Fees of Edmond, Colton Fees (Janna) of Edmond, James Bennett and Will Bennett of OKC, greatgrandchildren, Afton Willander, Jenson Willander of OKC, and Miles Minyen, Colter Fees and Otto Fees of Edmond.

We would like to thank her caretakers Julia, Lory, Jan and Leah with Integrity Senior Care as well as her nurse Amanda with Bristol Hospice and Dr. Don McGinnis of McBride Hospital for their respectful and loving care of Louise these last few months.

A visitation for Louise will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2025 from 8:00am to 7:00pm, with the family being in attendance from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper. A graveside service will occur Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 10:00am at Memorial Park Cemetery with a Celebration of Life to follow at 11am at First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City. Please consider wearing something colorful as Louise was always in colors and rarely, if ever, wore black! Although she loved flowers, she loved her church even more. Please consider, in lieu of flowers, a gift in her memory to the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City.