Raleigh, NC – Cortland Paul Bassett passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on February 4, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was born in Chattanooga, TN on May 25, 1945 to Barbara Brownsey Bassett (1927–2013) and Cortland Amidon Bassett (1918–1986). He has two brothers, Alan Bassett and David Mark Bassett, and one sister, Melissa Bassett. He was lucky enough to marry Regina (Genie) Lennox in 1969. They have one daughter, Kerry Anna (Bassett) Stenke (m. Michael Stenke) and two grandkids, Klaus and Willa.
Cort grew up in Chattanooga, TN, Connecticut, and Royalston, MA, where he was part of the undefeated Athol High School football team of 1962. He went to football reunions most years around Thanksgiving, and thoroughly enjoyed his fellow teammates.
At certain points of his life, he had aspired to be a baseball player and a back-up singer. Cort graduated from U Mass and got his Physicians Assistant degree from Emory University. After college, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, where he was the base newspaper editor.
He and Genie lived for short periods of time in Columbus, MS, Orlando, FL, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, New London, NH, Sunapee, NH, Charleston, SC, and finally in 1979 settled in Ithaca. He ran Cornell’s Sports Medicine Clinic for more than 20 years before retiring in 2000.
In 2001, he gave one of his kidneys to his little sister, who never stopped thanking him. As recently as last week, he was still proudly wearing the “One Kidney Club” t-shirt she gave him.
After retirement, he and Genie spent five months a year living out of a camper at Mount Desert Campground on the island of Mount Desert, Maine, home of Acadia National Park. He worked summers at Mount Desert Island Hospital in the emergency room and volunteered with Friends of Acadia. When not working or clearing trails, he climbed precarious cliffs, walked the Carriage Roads, and photographed the beauty other people couldn’t always see. His macro photography, collecting small points of awe – a multicolor reflection on rippled water, white clouds that mimicked leaves on a winter tree – was exceptional.
Cort enjoyed his family, friends, and acquaintances. He was an artist and writer, and avid Boston Red Sox fan. He listened to oldies like the Righteous Brothers and country music (like Randy Travis), but if you asked him who his favorite singer was, he would tell you Whitney Houston, with Alicia Keys a close second. He loved donuts, ice cream, Thai food, pizza, blueberry pancakes, and more ice cream.
He lived a full, meaningful, and adventurous life with his wife Genie, daughter, sister, brother in law (David Lennox), son in law, and his two grandchildren, who were always there for him, and who he was always there for. He also had the support of, and supported, Monte and Ellie May, Linda and Fred Kilar, Kelly Daley, Bill Apgar, Sandy and Mark MacDonald, Gus Alameda, and all his other friends.
Many thanks to Cadence of North Raleigh, where he spent his last months: Katrina, Lenny, Tamika, Margaret, and many others… you treated him like family. We will never forget.
We welcome your memories and photos at:
https://everloved.com/life-of/cortland-bassett/
In lieu of flowers, he would like a donation made to Friends of the Acadia:
https://friendsofacadia.org/membership-giving/donate/
or Cops, Kids, and Toys:
https://www.copskidsandtoys.org/support
A small gathering will be held in Ithaca this summer to celebrate his life. Please email his daughter at kerrystenke@me.com if you would like to be included.
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