Thomas Edward Basich

He was born in Chicago IL on November 29th, 1933 to Croatian immigrants Joseph and Lucy Basich. The story goes that Tom noticed Mary Knight as she walked past him on her way home from school. They were married in 1957 and they moved to Palos Heights where Tom the bricklayer added two fireplaces and a large, open family room to the modest home. As a younger man, Tom excelled at baseball, a sport he played at a high level as a pitcher at the University of Miami and with the Army.

Intelligent, hard-working, and adventurous, Tom landed a job as a project manager, which took his young family to Europe for several years… first to The Hague, Holland then to Madrid, Spain. Tom liked to load everyone into his blue, four door Fiat and embark on now legendary driving adventures throughout Europe, pointing out hawks and castles and sights along the way. In 1975, he moved the family to Nassau Bay, Texas, where he and Mary made many wonderful friends, eventually settling in their current home in League City.

Tom enjoyed golf and snow skiing. Unpretentious, generous, shy, compassionate, and honest with a quick-wit and dry sense of humor, Tom enjoyed making other people smile with a word of wisdom or subtle wisecrack. Most of all he loved his family, especially grandkids.

Tom is preceded by his parents Joseph and Lucy, his brother Joe; survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Mary; sister Esther; sons Tom (Linda) and Jim (Debbie), daughters Cindy and Jennifer; grandchildren Sarah (Ben), Ellen, Austin, Nicholas (Taylor), and Victoria; great grandchild Wyatt; as well as beloved nieces, nephews, extended family and many dear friends. He is loved and will be greatly missed by so many who knew him.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 4 at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, 1511 El Dorado Blvd. Houston, TX 77062. Friends are invited to join the family at 5:30 pm for a reception at La Brisa, 501 North Wesley Drive, League City, TX 77573. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.