Daniel Bassen

On July 7th, 2009, Daniel Mark Bassen succumbed to a battle with congestive heart failure with his family by his side.Dan (often known as “Dan The Man”), was born in Seattle WA to Mary (Sedlacek) & Edward Bassen. He was the seventh child in the family of eight children. Dan graduated from O’Dea High School in 1935 with honors, where he played on the football team, was a thespian and an avid swimmer. He also worked summers as a life guard at Marymount Military Academy. Everyone who met Dan throughout his life loved him and he them.  He made lifelong friends with acquaintances and classmates from his earliest years forward. In 1940 on his 21st birthday, he married Mary Boyce.  Dan worked in Seattle as a window dresser at Frederic & Nelson and later as a punch press operator in a machine shop during WWII.  In 1945 Dan accepted a job at Slocum’s Hardware Store and moved his wife and three children to Port Orchard where two more children joined the family. Dan & Mary were one of the pioneer families of St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church when mass was held above the D&R Movie Theater. Parish life was one of their focal points. Dan was always active in the local community. He belonged to the Active Club, Toastmasters and Kiwanis & was always involved in Port Orchard’s Days of ’49 celebrations.  In the ‘60s Dan and Mary took up golfing and were regulars at Clover Valley Golf Club.  Mary passed in 1990 shortly after they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Dan later married the former Patricia Berg and became stepfather to Richard, Lynne’ and De Annette.  They built a beautiful home together on Beach Drive where they often entertained family and friends.  After Patti’s illness, they enjoyed living at Stafford Suites where Dan remained until moving to his son Jim’s home shortly after Patti’s death in 2008. Dan spent nearly 46 years in the sales business between Slocum & Howe Hardware stores and later on the road selling wholesale house wares.  After retiring from sales, he was employed for another 5 years by St. Gabriel’s Church (his second home). Dan was known for his sense of humor and enjoyed nothing more than a good laugh.  He also enjoyed traveling, making frequent trips to California, Nevada and Hawaii.  Dan seldom had his rosary beads far from hand and never missed Sunday mass until the last month of his life.  He loved going to the casinos where he was often “lucky”.  In later years, a highlight of his week was the Kiwanis meetings where he sat at the “old geezers’ table. Dan lost his eldest son, Daniel Edward in 1997.  Dan will be missed dearly by his many friends & family including his three surviving sisters:  Agnus Mittet of Port Orchard, Doris Babik of Sedro Wooley and Clare (Joe) Zipp of San Leandro, CA as well as his four surviving children, Jim (Patti) Bassen, Margaret (Norman) Hower, Ann (Ed) Fournier and MaryKay (Marc) Seales, 13 grandchildren & 18 great grandchildren. Visitation will be at Rill's Life Tribute Center Monday, July 13th from Noon until 5:00 pm followed by recitation of the Rosary at 7:00 p.m.  A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, July 14th at St. Gabriel Catholic Church at 11:00 am with a reception following and interment at Sunset Lane Memorial Park to follow.