James Cooper Bass Sr.

James Cooper Bass Sr., 79, died October 31, 2016. He was born on March 7, 1937 in Little Rock, Ark., to Walter R. Bass Sr. and Mildred Walker Bass. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia Newton Bass; daughter, Lynda Bass Gaiser (Norman "Jack" Gaiser); son, James Cooper Bass Jr. (Bonnie Bass); grandchildren, Kristina Carol Brown (Aaron Brown) Robert Bass Gaiser, Savannah Leigh Gaiser and Jason Christopher Pontiff (Traci Johnson Pontiff); great-grandchildren, Emmalee Rose Brown and Colton Wade Brown; and siblings, Anne Fulk, Walter R. Bass Sr. He is preceded in death by Claibourne W. Bass, Robert W. Bass, and Hugh M. Bass. Cooper's family has a long history in Arkansas. One ancestor was the commander at the Arkansas Post, Don Joseph Bernard Valliere D'Hauterive. In 1821, his 6th grandmother, Maria Toncray Watkins and her husband, Major Isaac Watkins, came to Arkansas Territory and, in 1824, started the first church in Little Rock, which became First Christian Church in 1834. Cooper was an Eagle Scout at age 14 and the Arkansas State Duncan Yoyo Champion in 1952. He was a Hendrix College graduate and did post graduate work at Memphis University and T.C.U. A man of many talents, Cooper was a founding member of the Arkansas Ski Club with A.C. Lynch. He loved and restored Model A's, and having worked for John Deere, he fell in love with antique Deere tractors, rebuilding and restoring several. As an avid hunter, Cooper traveled out west and to Canada. He was a 57-year member of Caraway Deer Camp and founding member and owner of Long Shot Duck Club. After retiring as owner of an Aamco Transmission franchise, Cooper decided to get his pilot's license and bought a 1941 J-3 Piper Cub and totally restored it. "We stitched the wings." Visitation will be 1 p.m., Saturday, November 5, 2016 with funeral services at 2 p.m. both at Roller Chenal Funeral Home, 13801 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Ark. Memorials may be made to First Christian Church, 1500 N. Mississippi Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72205. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.