Joel Bass Of Southampton Dies February 5 - 27 East

Joel Bass Of Southampton Dies February 5

icon 1 Photo
Joel Bass

Joel Bass

author on Feb 8, 2019

Joel Bass, who resided in Southampton for more than 20 years, and in the Hamptons for more than 30 years, died on February 5, 2019, surrounded by his family, of stage 4 neuroendocrine tumor cancer. He was 76.

Born in Los Angeles on December 23, 1942, to Ethel and Herbert Bass, Mr. Bass attended the Art Center College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Tours France, and the University of Southern California School of Business. A lifelong accomplished artist, he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts on two occasions, in 1979 and 1987. His artwork is a part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of Art, in New York; National Museum of Art, Washington, D.C.; San Francisco Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Art, Berkeley Museum of Art, the Oakland Museum of Art, Otis College of Art and Design, in California; the Fort Worth Art Center, in Texas; the Des Moines Art Center, in Iowa; and the Greenville Center for Art, in North Carolina.

He shared his love of art with his many students as a professor during the 1970s and 1980s at the University of California at Irvine and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.

During the three decades he spent in the Hamptons, he continued to explore his passion for art when he founded Joel Bass Construction and began designing and building homes in the Hamptons and Manhattan. His unique aesthetic and unwavering attention to detail were evident in his many projects over the past 30 years.

Mr. Bass met the woman who would become his wife, Lisa Kenny Bass—an artist in her own right, and who was project manager with Joel Bass Construction and real estate agent at Saunders & Associates—more than 22 years ago. They are the parents of Max, 18, who will be entering Pitzer College in California as a member of the water polo team, and Theo, a student at the Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts and also a water polo enthusiast. Survivors said his greatest life joy was spending time with his sons and family.

In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Bass is survived by his sister, Ana Cheryl Bass Herbekian of California—also an artist and painter.

A memorial will be held this summer. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, eeh.org.

You May Also Like:

Southampton July 4th Parade Delights Crowd

The Southampton July Fourth parade was held on Friday morning and did not disappoint with ... 7 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Come and Tell Us

When Tim Bishop was our congressman, he held numerous town hall meetings with his constituents. They were raucous affairs. Those were the days of the Tea Party, and its members were outraged that the federal government was expanding health care insurance to millions of Americans. And they let Congressman Bishop know it. Usually loudly and sometimes rudely. They seemed unmoved that thousands of their fellow Americans were being driven to bankruptcy by medical debt. They were unconcerned that thousands were dying prematurely due to their lack of access to affordable health care. Many I spoke to seemed more worried that ... by Staff Writer

A Suggestion

I have a suggestion for Craig Catalanotto, who is on record for opposing cross-endorsements and for allegedly switching alliances from Democratic to Republican Party candidates, such as Cyndi McNamara and Stephen Kiely. When the Pine Barrens Commission was in the process of reviewing a proposed golf course development in East Quogue (known as the Lewis Road Planned Residential District, or PRD), I wrote to the commission recommending that a task force be formed to investigate land use on the Lewis Road corridor. The area in question is easy to investigate. One side of Lewis Road includes a sand mine adjacent ... by Staff Writer

Followed Their Lead

While I respect the journalistic integrity of The Southampton Press, I disagree with your editorial awarding the Southampton Village Ethics Board a “dunce cap” for Open Meetings Law violations [“Gold Stars and Dunce Caps,” Editorial, July 3]. The Ethics Board may very well have failed to follow procedural notice requirements. But the dunce cap belongs to the village mayor and his board majority, whose job it is to ensure that all appointed boards receive proper, up-to-date training in the Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law. The mayor and board must mandate training for themselves and all regulatory boards. ... by Staff Writer

Shooting Wildly

As a 30-year litigation-scarred veteran of the sand mining/composting wars waged in Southampton Village and Town, I am a proponent of the amortization of sand mines proposed by the town. In our battles, we were up against the “pre-existing use” free pass, and the town’s and village’s “maintenance” of the sites to dump whatever they chose to, and their reluctance to enforce existing laws, or impose any oversight, which allowed for all manner of activities to flourish. Thrown into the trenches, we learned firsthand how the public was ignored, then penalized; how the inspectors applied existing law selectively; how the ... by Staff Writer

Wonderful Turnout

On behalf of the Fourth of July Parade Committee and the Southampton Village Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events, I would like to thank the community for such a wonderful turnout for the Fourth of July parade. I would like to thank the Village of Southampton employees, police department and Chief Suzanne Hurteau, fire department and Chief Polis Walker, Volunteer Ambulance and Chief Christopher Epley, and the Board of Trustees and Mayor Bill Manger. I also would like to thank the large group of volunteers who stepped up this year when we were concerned that we were not generating enough support ... by Staff Writer

A More Nimble Plan

“It feels like Southampton has lost its soul.” That’s how one local merchant recently described the state of our village business district. Many would agree. Local businesses reported a soft July 4, but a much better July 5 and 6. Just a few miles away, East Hampton and Sag Harbor reported a record weekend. In East Hampton, stores are now staying open late to meet the demand. Southampton Village, by contrast, looked neglected. Trash swirled in the air. Sidewalks were stained and littered with candy wrappers and gum. Mismatched waste receptacles overflowed. This is not the look or feel of ... by Staff Writer

A Simpler Solution

It has taken me a few weeks to respond to the recent “Cup o’ Joe” newsletter, where Executive Editor Joe Shaw ventured onto an editorial limb, venting about village issues, particularly the controversy surrounding Pond Lane. Let’s set the record straight. First, a beautiful proposal, indeed, was submitted to convert the vacant parcel of land into a park. However, this initial proposal did not involve closing Pond Lane. The subsequent idea of transforming Pond Lane into a bike and walking path — what I regard as “the bike path to nowhere” — is impractical at best. You implied that I ... by Staff Writer

SAT Prep Course Offered by Child Care Center

The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center is offering an SAT prep course ahead of the August 23 test date. Classes will be held Mondays in July and August, with an additional session on Wednesday, August 13, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The cost is $40 and includes a workbook; scholarships are available. To register, email Camryn@bhccrc.org or call 631-537-0616. The center is located at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.
“SAT Prep can be an important part of that journey,” said executive director Bonnie Michelle Cannon. by Staff Writer

Jazz Mass In Bridgehampton On Sunday

St Ann’s Episcopal Church on Main Street in Bridgehampton will host its annual Jazz Mass on Sunday, July 13, at 10 a.m. All are welcome. The band will include Ada Rovatti and Eric Schugren on saxophone; Mike Gari, guitar; John Mele, drums; and Steve Shaughnessy, bass. The choir will sing Bob Chilcott’s “Little Jazz Mass,” and all are encouraged to join in singing the hymns. A hospitality hour for all follows the service. by Staff Writer