A memorial service will be held at 1pm on Saturday May 19, 2018 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel with a visitation to follow.
Rusty was born in Conway, SC on June 11, 1940. He was the son of William Franklin and Irene Champion Lyon Bass. After graduation from Conway High School in 1958, he attended the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship, where he met his future wife, Virginia Carolyn Jones. They celebrated 57 years of marriage this year.
Rusty was a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the Advanced Tax School at the University of Illinois. He was a Certified Public Accountant in South Carolina and North Carolina, a Certified Financial Planner, and a Qualified Federal Bankruptcy Examiner and Trustee.
His career as a CPA, in addition to time spent as a sole practioner, included Haskins & Sells as Tax Manager; Clarkson, Harden, and Gantt as Tax Partner; Arthur Young International as Tax Partner and for the period 1988 – 1989 as Director of South Carolina Tax Practice; Ernst & Young as Tax Partner and Director of Tax Columbia Office for the period of 1989 – 1991; and C.C. McGregor & Co as Tax Partner.
He was a member of the American Institute of CPAs, South Carolina Association of CPAs, and its Central Chapter, North Carolina Association of CPAs, the Estate Planning Council, International Association of Financial Planners and S.C. Bankruptcy Law Association.
He was an officer in many professional and community organizations and served on the Executive Committee of the USC Accounting Foundation, Columbia College Advisory Committee, and is an alumnus of Columbia Forum, Leadership Columbia, Beta Alpha Psi honorary accounting fraternity, Sigma Chi, and was a member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
He was a father who loved his daughters intensely and enjoyed participating in all their activities. He was extremely proud of all his daughters’ accomplishments and cherished all the mementoes and gifts that they made for him, always keeping them on his desk or workbench.
An avid outdoorsman, he qualified for the Hunter Achievement Award, the Grand Slam of the South Pacific Award, and the Global Hunting Award with the Safari Club International with 44 listings in SCI record books. But, his greatest joy was helping his grandchildren learn to love and respect the outdoors.
Rusty is survived by his wife and two daughters, Virginia Howell Bass, MD (Maciej Kieszkowski) of Portsmouth, RI, and Elizabeth Lyon Bass Covalt (Keith) of Columbia, SC; six grandchildren, John David Covalt III, Catharine Lyon Covalt, Caleb Christian Covalt, Daniel Bass Covalt, Emma Elizabeth Covalt, and Gabriel Michael Covalt; two sisters, Marge Cooley of Lexington, SC, and Irene Moser of Murrells Inlet, SC.
He was predeceased by his parents and twin granddaughters, Alexandra and Christina Covalt.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lifespan Cancer Institute, P.O. Box H, Providence RI 02903; The National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 1848, Longmont, CO 80502; or a charity of one’s choice.
Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com
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