SODUS POINT/PALMYRA: Died on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at the age of 97. Private memorial services will be held at the convenience of the family. Please consider donations to The Humane Society of Wayne County, 1475 County House Rd, Lyons, NY 14489 or Silver Waters Community Ambulance, PO Box 159, Sodus Point, NY 14555
Gene grew up in Palmyra and on Sodus Bay, weekends and summers on South Shore Rd until 1995 when he and Shirley moved there, spending winters in Pompano Beach FL. His first job was delivering newspapers on his bike in Palmyra, later working as an “office boy” at Garlock. He was drafted into the Navy late in WWII, leaving for boot camp the day after high school graduation. The funeral home proudly flies the Navy flag in honor of Gene’s service to our country. When he was discharged after the war, he went to SU for a year, then convinced his parents that being married would make him a better student. He and Shirley, always introduced at Rotary as his “best girl”, were married June 14, 1947. He graduated from SU in 1950 and returned to work at UW Sherburne in Palmyra with his Dad, Homer. He often said they never had an argument in the 30 years they worked together. They expanded and opened the Macedon branch of the dealership in the 1960’s. When he had a decision to make, he always said he asked himself “what would Homer do?". His dad was Gene’s moral compass and it served him well.
Gene was a Horizons member of the Western Presbyterian Church in Palmyra. He had been a longtime member of the Palmyra-Macedon Rotary Club and was the club’s oldest living member. For more than 50 years Gene had maintained perfect attendance at the club’s weekly meetings. When he could no longer make the trip from Sodus Point to Palmyra, he continued his service to the club by maintaining the club’s attendance records, hand crafting the club’s banners and sending congratulations, birthday or condolence cards on behalf of the club. Gene’s benevolence was also reflected in his service on the Newark Wayne Community Hospital Board of Directors where he had served as president of the board. His love of cars extended into restoring antique and classic Fords. Gene loved his annual trips to Hershey PA for antique car flea markets. He at various times owned cars from 1916 through 1991. He met one of his best friends through the car business, a dealer from Maine. They took several boat trips along the intercoastal waterway over the years and sailed the coast of Maine. He loved his family, boating, cars, and keeping busy. His hobbies included building wooden clocks, model airplanes, boats and ships. He donated dozens of his clocks to local nonprofits whenever there was a fundraising event, attended every local event and donated time and treasure wherever he could. He was a Yankee fan all his life and converted Shirley from the Cleveland Indians to the Yankees. He loved Syracuse basketball and followed the team closely.
He once took a pony in trade on a pickup truck so his girls would stop begging for a horse. He bought a Kallusch built sailboat for them when their interests changed. He fished with them, took them for boat rides, played in the snow, taught them to drive, made sure their boyfriends had safe cars, and walked them down the aisle. Then he did it all over again with his grandkids.
Gene was predeceased by his beloved wife of over 70 years, Shirley, and parents Homer A. and Josephine Sherburne Bassage. He is survived by his daughters Sue Bassage and Jill Bassage; grandchildren Christine (Paul) Seymour and Lisa (Anthony) Hollebrandt; great-grandchildren Ian Lewis, Jillian, Addison and Levi Hollebrandt, very special friend Jacqui DeBrine, his cat Lizzie, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
