Tom Basinski loved writing. On several occasions he told me that over the years writing his column for The Star-News saved his life. He would write until he no longer could, he told me.
The author of four novels and more than 100 short stories was true to his word. Even after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer years ago, Basinski wrote his column. Sometimes weeks in advance. He never missed a deadline.
In January he submitted a column with the understanding that it was his last one (It is published again on the opposite page). It was getting harder to stay focussed, he said. He tired easily.
Yet when I visited him while he was receiving hospice care he revealed he’d been tinkering with his final last column.
He even took the liberty of adding editor’s notes to his copy.
It was his obit and it is included below.
“Tom was born in Flint, Mich., on Aug. 31, 1946. He was the second son of Ralph and Mima. The family lived on the east side, attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church and in 1959 the family moved to the north end where Tom attended St. Agnes from 1959 to 1964.
He graduated with high academic honors (Editor’s note: If you call perfect attendance his senior year “high academic honors.”)
Tom excelled in football, basketball and track, serving as the captain of the football and basketball teams. (Ed:
“Excelled” means he was “pretty good,” considering St. Agnes was a small school.)
During his high school years, Tom was considered quite the “ladies man.” (Ed: He was so afraid and unsure of himself when phoning a girl he would keep notes on things to talk about in order to keep the conversation flowing.)
After high school Tom entered the seminary, studying to become a Catholic priest. He attended St. Paul Seminary in Saginaw, Mich., and later Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. Throughout his college years, Tom was an exceptional student (Ed: If you call a C+ average “exceptional.”)
After five years, and with four years remaining before ordination, Tom left the seminary. He said there was no exotic or interesting reason why he left.
“I started when I was 18 and quit when I was 23. A lot happens during that time in a man’s life. I just changed my mind. In case you’re wondering, there was no sultry temptress in a mini-dress, fishnet stockings and spiked heels lurking in the shadows of the seminary. If there had been I probably would have left earlier.”
Tom joined the Flint Police Department in June of 1969 and worked there until December of 1970. The Flint years were a learning experience with lots of fun and lots of action for a young police officer.
The Chula Vista California Police Department hired Tom in December 1970. Years later, after Tom’s personnel file grew thick with complaints of many minor misbehaviors, someone asked Chief of Police Bill Winters why he hired Basinski in the first place. Winters, the coach of the police basketball team, shrugged and said, “He told me he was a good basketball player.”
On May 12, 1972, Tom married Judy Wood, a native of Mt. Morris, Mich. Nicolas was born unto them in 1976. Joe entered their lives Aug. 10, 1980.
At Chula Vista PD Tom worked 10 years in patrol and a few in vice/narcotics, excelling at undercover work. He worked in child abuse/sex crimes and then transferred to robbery-homicide. Basinski was proud to say he solved all the homicides assigned to him. (Ed: He really did.)
After only 16 short years Tom was promoted to sergeant.
In 1987 Tom joined the San Diego District Attorney’s Office as an investigator.”
From the editor: Mr. Basinski joined The Star-News in 2009. And given that this bonus work in progress was never assigned, it is worth noting he still never missed a deadline.
But he, nevertheless, is missed greatly.
