Thomas Livingston Bass

Thomas Livingston Bass, 76, of Texarkana, Ark. died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 in a local hospital. Mr. Bass was born Jan. 11, 1939 in Texarkana, Ark. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. After college, he began pilot training in Del Rio, Texas, where he graduated first in his class and went on to fly F102 fighter jets in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967. Tom and his wife, Pattye, moved to Texarkana, Texas where he started his own contracting company Dual construction in 1970. Tom was also the co-owner of Bass and Beth Distributing and Smith Tire. He also served as the president of the Texarkana Airport board and a member of Texarkana Jaycee's for many years. He was an avid razorback fan as well as a member of the Arkansas Road Hogs. Tom contributed to the Razorback foundation and had an instrumental role in the design and planning of the Road Hog Park in Fayetteville, Ark. When Tom and Pattye were not watching the hogs play, they enjoyed traveling the world, relaxing in Mexico or scuba diving on their boat in Belize. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, George and Hazel Bass and good friend and father-in-law, Louis Fawcett. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Patricia (Pattye) Fawcett Bass of Texarkana, Ark.; one sister, Lydia Ashley of Texarkana, Texas; one son, Nick Bass of Texarkana, Ark.; one daughter, Samantha Wall and husband, Richy Wall of Diana, Texas; four grandchildren, Kyle and wife, Haylie Bass of Texarkana, Texas, Erin and husband, Dillon Ward of Ashdown, Ark., Blake Wall and Ty Wall, both of Diana, Texas and four great-grandchildren. A celebration of Tom's life will be held Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 from 5-7 p.m. at Texarkana Funeral Home in Texarkana, Ark. The family will have a private service in Belize to deposit his ashes on his favorite reef. The online register book is available at www.TexarkanaFuneralHome.com.