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Martin Funeral Home obituary
128 North Resler Drive, El Paso, TX 79912 | 915-584-1234

Sterling Putnam Bassett
January 20, 1941 - July 28, 2016

Col. (Ret.) Sterling Putnam Bassett passed away at his beloved Las Ventanas home on July 28, 2016, at the age of 75 after a short – but brutal – battle with cancer. Sterling was born in San Antonio, Texas, on January 20, 1941. He graduated from El Paso High School in 1959, from The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1963 (B.B.A. in Business Administration), and from the U.S. Army War College in 1982 (Master's Degree in Public Administration). He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1963 and quietly and bravely served his country as an infantry officer for 30 years. As an Army Ranger, he defended his country in the Dominican Republic, in Vietnam, and in other places we will never know. While serving his country, he received many, many awards and citations; among them the Silver Star, the Bronze Star (with 4 oak leaf clusters), and the Purple Heart. He retired in 1993 in El Paso. He is preceded in death by his mother, Helen Bassett; his father, Maj. (Ret.) Herbert Bassett; and sister, Gretchen Hinman. He is survived by his sister, Jan Bassett of El Paso, Mike Monro of El Paso, Mike Bassett (Liz) of Dallas; and numerous nieces and nephews. Sterling was a man's man. He looked you in the eye when he shook your hand and when he spoke to you. He drove a Corvette. He rode a Harley Davidson. He always wore a Rolex. He ran marathons. He did cross fit three times a week up until May of this year. He loved guns, the Colorado Rockies, gin and tonic (two limes, please), and pecan pie (HOT, please) with ice cream for breakfast. He was incredibly well read and loved to talk politics. He will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Love has no body and presides the sun." ~ John Berryman