Richard Lenon Basham was born in Piggott, Arkansas, on May 20, 1964, to Bettye and Matthew Basham. He was the beloved “baby” of the family with four older siblings. He spent most of his childhood years in Sikeston, MO. He maintained contact with several of his childhood friends and cherished these relationships to the end. His parents moved to Port Isabel, TX, when he was a freshman, and he graduated high school there in 1982. While in Texas, he developed his lifelong love of the ocean and sailing. Unfortunately, he spent the majority of his life landlocked in Missouri. Following a brief adventure to Colorado, Rich joined the Navy at the age of 19. He proudly served on the USS Forrestalfor nine years, based in Jacksonville, FL. During this time, his son, Aaron Basham, was born (6/90). He had wonderful memories and endless stories of the people he served with and enjoyed reconnecting with some of them recently.
After leaving the Navy, he returned to Missouri (Sikeston/St. Louis) and worked for Southwestern Bell-AT&T until his retirement in 2024*. As in all of his endeavors, he made wonderful connections and lifelong friendships. During this time, his daughter, Madi Basham, was born (6/97).
After retirement, Rich drove the train at the St. Louis Zoo. He always loved the interaction with the kids and animals and looked cute in his uniform. He then took a part-time job closer to home at ACE Hardware. He enjoyed this job, the people he met, and the exercise he got, calling it his gym membership. He was cute in this uniform as well.
In 2012, Rich married Nancy Basham on a beautiful, hot beach in Jamaica. This marriage gifted Rich with a bonus daughter (Sarah Cowart 12/88) and son (Adam Howard 10/90). Rich and Nancy devoted every moment since their marriage to joyfully living, intentional loving, and endless laughter. They delighted in celebrating the 7th of each month with prosecco in honor of their June 7th wedding and their gratitude for each other. This relationship and its monthly celebrations proved to be an anchor when life’s seas became rough.
If you knew Rich, you were loved by Rich. His heart was big, open, and eager. He truly had no enemies and was so accepting of everyone he met. His love of the ocean was equally matched by his love of music. His vinyl record collection topped 450, and many nights were spent on the Basham patio listening to his beloved RUSH, Bob Marley, and K-TEL collection. He taught himself the guitar and found solace in playing both the guitar and ukulele. He loved to sing and graced many karaoke nights with “Twist and Shout” and “Brown Eyed Girl.” His singing will be forever missed.
He was the best husband and devoted father, but his greatest love was being “Funpa” to his seven grandkids and several bonus Oak Bridge kids. He embraced the name, and each child will forever walk away knowing that they were MOST loved by Funpa.
Ultimately, what Rich Basham wanted to be remembered for was his love for Christ. He was raised in the church but strayed from religion as a young man. In his adult life, he reconnected with God, and God remained the biggest priority in his life. The past 14 years, he was an active member of Oak Bridge Community Church, where he and Nancy loved hosting new visitors, leading small groups, and building new relationships. As much as he loved this church, they loved him back and covered him and his family with endless prayers and support during his cancer journey. When he was first diagnosed with his rare cancer, his response was, “Please let God be glorified in and with my life.” He repeated this phrase and lived this example to the end.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Doug Basham (Angie).
He is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy, his children, and their families: Aaron Basham (spouse Ariadne, children Arya, Amelia, Archer, and Adalind) of St. Peters, MO; Madlyn Basham of Lake St. Louis, MO; Sarah Cowart (spouse James, children Avery and Connor) of Fenton, MO; and Adam Howard (spouse Danielle, son Julian) of Oakland, CA.
He is also survived by his siblings: Bethany Torres (Chuey) of Charlevoix, MI; Joe Basham (Carol) of Houston, TX; and Eric Basham (Sandy) of Dexter, MO — and his sisters-in-law Angie Basham of St. Peters, MO; Martha Smith (James) of Branson, MO; and Carolyn Fischer of Camdenton, MO. He was also a beloved uncle, great-uncle, and friend to many.
He will be forever missed by his family and friends. If you knew Rich, know that he is currently singing in Heaven and saving you a seat. ❤️
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Oak Bridge City Church (oakbridgecc.org) or Adrenal Cure Collective (adrenalcurecollective.org)