Dr. Renate Basham

Obituary

Dr. Renate G. Basham, 75, died peacefully on Wednesday morning, September 9, 2015 after a prolonged illness. She was born January 2, 1940 in Frankfurt Germany and was a resident of Ooltewah Tennessee since 1976. Dr. Basham was a member of the faculty at Cleveland State Community College for 33 years and retired 14 years ago.

Renate and her husband Larry were world travelers and together they circled planet Earth more than once. During their travels they visited the countries of South East Asia, including Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. They also visited countries on the African Continent including Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and others. Being German born, she and Larry visited all of the countries of Europe. Not only to visit family, but also to traverse the many cities and countryside villages Europe has to offer. One of the highlights of her life was during a trip to Rome, when she and Larry visited the Vatican and had a private audience with Pope Benedictus XVI on February 23, 2011.

Dr. Basham was an accomplished scholar in her career at Cleveland State Community College (1968-2001). She was a language professor and then joined the administrative staff as the Executive Vice President and was voted Dean Of The Faculty by her peers. Her academic accolades are below:

Undergraduate and graduate work: 1965 Johann-Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany- English, French
Diplome dEtudes Francaises, Sorbonne-University of Paris
Certificat dEtudes Francaises, University of Poitiers-Tours France
M.Ed. 1969, University of Chattanooga-Education
Ph.D. 1987, University of Tennessee-German Language and Literature

Renate was also an avid athlete. Swimming and walking were her favorite activities.

She was preceded in death by her parents Professor Karl and Else Goepel, Frankfurt Germany and by her first husband, U.S. Army Colonel Edward E. Huft Jr.

She is survived by her husband Larry D. Basham, daughter Debbie Basham Gurley, son-in-law David W. Gurley, sister-in-law Janice Faye Gilmore and her sister Charlotte Herrmann, several nieces and nephews and their beloved pet Dachshund, Athos.

No public service is planned at this time.

Two of Renates favorite charities were The American Cancer Society and CARE. You are invited to make donations to these organizations with her in your thoughts.

You are encouraged to share a memory of Dr. Basham and/or your personal condolences with her family by visiting her memorial web page and guestbook at www.companionfunerals.com.

Companion Funeral Home and the Cody family are honored to assist the Basham family with her arrangements.


No public service at this time