Mr. William “Bill” Bass went home to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 14th, 2018 at age 66. Bill was born June 26th, 1953 to Albert Eugene Bass and Martha Hentz Atwater Bass in Quincy, FL.
God, family, and friends were Bill’s priorities. He met his wife, Kathy Suzanne Bright Bass August 29th on a blind date and got engaged after “80 quality hours.” Following their 4-month engagement and subsequent 31-year marriage, they had three beautiful children; Davis Dewitt Bass, William Atwater Bass, and Sarah Elizabeth Bass. Raising family and growing an accounting and financial planning firm, Bill and Kathy were an integral part of the Bay County community.
Bill attended the University of Florida, graduating in 1975 with a B.S. in Business Administration. He made a difference in all the lives he touched in his 31 years as a CPA, Financial Planner, and Valuation Analyst. He was active in the Panama City Beach Optimist Club and the Lynn Haven Rotary Club where he served as Treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants where he served as Treasurer and President of the local chapter. Bill was a regular at the Panama City Country Club, playing with the Hacking Dogs, until family responsibilities focused him elsewhere…but was known to shoot mid-70s having not picked up a club in months. He was also a founding member of the Director’s Club where only its members know its true purpose.
Bill was preceded in death by his father, Albert Eugene Bass; paternal grandparents, Efrom Eugene Bass and Mary Cox Bass; maternal grandparents, William Dewitt Atwater and Lula Hentz Atwater; and his niece Courtney Bright.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy Suzanne Bright Bass; their children Davis Dewitt Bass, William Atwater Bass and Sarah Elizabeth Bass; his mother, Martha Hentz Atwater Bass; his brother Mike Bass (Eunice); nieces and nephews, Brittany Bass, Ashley Bass, Tab Bright, Logan Bass, and Chad Bright.
Bill will be remembered as a man of solid character, a committed and loving husband, a loving father, with a brilliant and inquisitive mind. He loved to tell a story, share a joke and never met a construction project he wasn’t willing to tackle. He will be deeply missed.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 19, 2019 at St. Andrew Baptist Church. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, July 18 2019 at Southerland Event Center in Lynn Haven. Graveside services will be at 10:00 a.m. EST, on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Old Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church Cemetery in Gadsden County.
