Jamie Bassett

My dad has been a teacher for 30 years of his life. For most of that time, once he’s done with school he’s done private tutoring once school was out to help students either get caught up to where they should be or push ahead to where they want to be in math. He is beloved by all of his students to the point that his current class room is nearly fully lined with college t-shirts that have been provided to him by former students. These include everything from state colleges, to small private colleges, to Ivy League and international colleges. He initially retired about 15 years ago when my sister graduated from college, but immediately went back to teaching part time because he loved it. He’s approaching his second retirement once he completes his 30th year of teaching, but plans to continue tutoring. Outside of school he has always been an active member of each church congregation he’s been a member of. He’s always willing to help out with fundraisers whether that means manual labor, cooking, or simply helping organize. He’s recently started serving as Santa Claus every Christmas season. He stops shaving around late June so he’s got a fully bushy beard by November/December. He’s now a regular at a variety of toy stores, vet clinics, fundraisers, and Christmas events every year. While he looks forward to his annual New Years shave by the end of it, it’s the thing he looks forward to most each year, regularly upgrading his Santa Claus suit and complimenting trinkets like glasses, boots, and chairs. For all of my life he’s been one of a few people that I knew I could always go to. When my wife and I found out we were having our first kid, I had lunch with him but swore him to secrecy because I really needed to tell someone, but we didn’t want to announce anything for a bit longer. He’s been a constant role model and inspiration. Any time I need help or am looking for someone to go in on a fundraiser, he’s a guarantee. While he has been recognized for his volunteer and community work in the past, he deserves all of the attention he gets, even if he doesn’t seek it out.