Anne J. Basile

Anne J. (Webb) Basile of Sylvania passed away on November 24, 2024. She was born the second of four children in Monroe, GA on March 3, 1923, to Rev. John H. and Lillie (Richardson) Webb. She was also stepdaughter to Laura (Lovell) Webb, second wife after the death of Lillie. She graduated University High, Columbia, SC, earned her BA in Sociology from Baylor University, Waco, TX, in 1944, and in 1974 she completed a Masters in Library Science at The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.

Anne and her husband, Robert M. Basile, were married on May 23, 1945, in Birmingham, AL, with her father officiating. They lived primarily in Ohio, first in Columbus, then in Sylvania, where Robert was a professor at Ohio State University and then the University of Toledo, respectively. Upon completion of her MLS, Anne founded the Maumee Valley Chapter of the Church and Synagogue Library Association, as well as becoming Librarian at Whiteford Elementary School for 15 years, and then Librarian at Davis Junior College in the 1990s. After retiring, she substituted at many area schools including Whitmer High School and Jones Junior High and was church librarian for United Methodist Church of Sylvania, where she was a longtime member.

Anne was always active in women’s groups – at church, Girl Scouts, Mothersingers and church choirs, and also was a member of the American Association of University Women. As a longtime resident of Sylvania (53 years), she was an enthusiastic participant of classes at the Sylvania Senior Center, especially creative writing and memoir writing groups. The many Elderhostels (now Roads Scholars) she attended with Robert provided a basis for much of her creative writing. While her experiences growing up in the south in the 1920s and 30s, camping trips with 3 small children while crisscrossing the US, as well as pride in personal achievements such as learning to ice skate in her 30s and teaching herself to play the guitar were also important sources for her compositions.

Anne is preceded in death by her parents and stepmother; her loving husband of 59 years; daughter, Elizabeth A. Basile; sisters, June Basile and Jean Melton; and brother, John H. Webb Jr; brothers-in-law, David, Arthur, Richard Basile and Wheeler Melton; and sisters-in-law, Mariette and Betty Basile. She is survived by daughters, Lorraine (John) Allison and Karen (Stephen Edward) Nofziger; grandchildren, Bryan (Lynne) Allison, Andrew (Rachel) Allison, and Eric Nofziger; and five great-grandchildren.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to USO or to the Toledo Humane Society. Online condolences to reebfuneralhome.com

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