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Obituary for Mary Lou Basham
Mary Lou Basham April 15, 1927 – May 29, 2010 Mary Lou Basham passed away in Brookings on May 29, 2010. She was 83. Mary Lou was born April 15, 1927 in Los Angeles, CA to Gus and Gladys (Miller) Rosner. She lived in Southern California and Washington until moving to Brookings in 1990. She married R. A. “Bob” Basham in Long Beach, CA on March 17, 1977. Mary Lou was a commercial pilot and flight instructor at the Long Beach, CA airport. She also taught “Fear of Flying” for Western Airlines. She was active in the “99’s”, a woman’s flight organization and flew in the Powder Puff Derby from Sacramento, CA to Delaware. She was an associate member of the American Veterans Association serving as Gardenia, CA Post 30’s vice president. She was also one of the first women members of the Kiwanis in Redmond, WA. After moving to Brookings, Mary Lou served as a telephone response operator for the Cape Ferrelo Fire Department. She loved animals and watching the ocean. She and Bob also spent a great deal of time boating on the Puget Sound and near the San Juan’s during the summer. Survivors include her husband, Bob of Brookings, son, Rick Newman and his wife, Gail of San Diego, CA, daughter-in-law, Mel Newman, stepdaughter, Cindy Reuter and family, stepson, Gordon Zbinden and family, many grandchildren and great grandchildren, and sisters, Carolyn Beck and Doris D’Amico, both of Southern California. She was preceded in death by her son, Darrell Newman. Private interment was held at W. J. Ward Memorial Cemetery in Brookings.
