Lois Bass

Lois King Bass of Winston-Salem, NC died November 23, 2017 at Autumn Care of Mocksville. She was 89. Her husband John Dallas Bass died in 1982.

She was born on January 18, 1928 in Haws Run, NC, daughter of Lewis Alvin and Myrtie Parker King, She is survived by her children: Stephanie Bass and son-in-law Bill Holman; Jennifer Bass Daniel; Nathan Bass; Lloyd Bass and daughter-in-law Tammy Newsom Bass, grandson Jonathan Bass and his wife Audrey Sutton Bass; granddaughter Amanda Newsom and great-grandson William Dotson.

She is also survived by her sister Elizabeth King Justice of Charlotte, NC and sister-in-law Lennie Shepard King of Clayton NC. Mrs. Bass had two brothers and five sisters who died before her: Maurice Q. King of Havelock, NC; Clarice King Rhodes of Jacksonville, NC, Shirley King Harrelson of Jacksonville and Emerson King of Jacksonville; a sister Ethel Marea who died at age 2, and an infant sister who was not named.

Mrs. Bass took great joy in her children and many nieces and nephews, saving all their Christmas cards, displaying their family pictures and especially delighting when any child was born with red hair like hers.

Mrs. Bass went to grade school in Maple Hill, NC and graduated from Dixon High School in Onslow County in 1945. She met Dallas Bass in Jacksonville when she was working at the Camp LeJeune Post Exchange. They married and moved to Winston-Salem where they worked and raised their family, but they often returned to Onslow County for vacations and family reunions. The family attended Southside Baptist Church. Mrs. Bass was active in the church and took pleasure in working with the toddlers in the nursery, teaching Bible School and serving as a deacon.

Mrs. Bass worked at AT&T Lexington Road plant from 1967 to 1989, and was an active member of Communications Workers of America Local 3060. She worked other part-time jobs at the same time in order to give her children an education and other opportunities. She loved art, and after retirement served as a docent at Reynolda House Museum for many years. She also participated in the Forsyth Extension Homemakers and enjoyed taking trips with her fellow union retirees, the Extension group and the Reynolda House. She was very creative. She enjoyed sewing matching Easter outfits and Halloween costumes for her two daughters when they were young, and patching her sons' work jeans and stitching decorative home goods. When friends, family or co-workers had birthdays or other special occasions she would often write poems for them and illustrate them with unique drawings.

A memorial service will be held at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem at noon on Tuesday November 28, with visitation at the funeral home from 10:45am to 11:45am. Burial will be on Thursday November 30 at the LF King family graveyard in Haws Run with a visitation at Jones Funeral Home in Jacksonville prior to the ceremony, times to be set. Those who wish to make memorial contributions are encouraged to consider Southside Baptist Church at 401 East Sprague Street in Winston-Salem, or the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org.

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind And floats downstream till the current ends And dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through the sighing trees And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

---excerpts from I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

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