Bob passed away peacefully, surrounded by his 4 children, at The Montreal General Hospital.
Predeceased by his beloved wife of 63 years (Mary Keltie Bassett) and Mother of Christina, Keltie, Karen and Robert (Sue). Loving Grandfather to his Grandchildren Jasmine, Edouard and Gabriel (Shaar) and Elizabeth and Steven (Bassett).
Born in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Bob’s family moved to Montreal when he was a child. He was the son of Thomas Walter Bassett and Christina Ann Finley. He is predeceased by his brother George (Barbara).
Bob attended Lower Canada College where he developed close and enduring relationships. In the Fall of 1945, he entered the Commerce faculty at McGill University.
He began a successful career in Sales at Canadian Celanese. After five years, he accepted a position in Sales at Dominion Glass Company, where his father was Vice President. At age 45, with four young children, he embarked on a new career in life insurance sales and financial planning at Imperial Life. He felt good about the profession because it was about helping people and he was fortunate to continue working into his mid eighties.
Bob and Mary spent summers with family and friends at their cherished family cottage at Vale Perkins on Lake Memphremagog. They shared a love of the Eastern Townships and the community spirit. Bob was a founding member and volunteer at L’Abri En Ville. He was also a long-time member of The Unitarian Church of Montreal. He was passionate about sports, including golf, squash and skiing. For many years, he was a member at the Newport Golf & Country Club (Vermont) and the Montreal Badminton & Squash Club.
He was truly a kind, calm and gentle soul who always saw the best in people.
A special thank you to Dr. Robert Iny and the nursing staff and attendants at Place Kensington for their care and support.
A celebration of life in Bob and Mary’s honour will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Bob and Mary could be made to: L’Abri en Ville, The Unitarian Church of Montreal, or to a charity of your choice.