Obituary

Thomas Christopher Basom

Taken from us too soon, Thomas Christopher Basom, aka Chris Basom, passed away Monday evening, December 6th of a sudden heart attack at the age of 62. He will be deeply missed by so many, as his positive impact on others and the community was widespread.

This comes as a shock to all who knew him, as Chris was so full of love and life. He made friends everywhere he went with his positively contagious attitude and his unique way of making you feel special, seen, and supported. Chris lived his life on purpose, with the intention to Be Kind. Those who knew him best enjoyed his strong personality, brilliant mind, silly sense of humor, his sensitive, compassionate heart, and his never-ending support and words of wisdom.

Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan to Fred and Marian Basom on June 7th, 1959, Chris grew up in a large family of 7 children. He excelled at school and took pride in being Student Body President at Loara High School, which contributed to his love of healthy debate. A problem solver and numbers guy, his tax and financial planning business of over 30 years served countless people in the community with humor and kindness as they navigated their financial journey. Being a good father and a loyal husband was his top priority and he always made himself available to process through life’s ups and downs with those he cherished. His passion for soccer and being with his children led to volunteering with the AYSO for over 20 years as a coach, referee and on the Board. In his spare time, Chris enjoyed building Lego and passed along that Lego enthusiasm to his grandchildren. He was a true humanitarian to the end, as an organ donor he will help hundreds of people.

Survived by his wife Trish Elliott, his children Denielle Basom, Conrad Basom and Kelly Ritchie, his grandchildren Blair, Declan, Avery and Hudson, his siblings De Anne, Terese, Jonathan and Joseph, along with cousins, aunts and uncles.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to support two of Chris’ passions —

Soccer and Lego:

The AYSO Playership Fund at www.Ayso.org

The Giving Brick at www.Thegivingbrick.org

Memorial Service

Date & Time: December 20, 2021 (2:00 PM)
Venue: O'Connor Mortuary
Location: 25301 Alicia Parkway Laguna Hills, CA 92653 - (Get Directions)
Phone Number: (949) 581-4300

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95 responses to Thomas Christopher Basom

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Mark Diggs says:

December 18, 2021

So sorry to hear about your loss Trish. I am so saddened and heartbroken and will miss him dearly. Chris has always been one of my favorite people to be around. Prayers to your family,..

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Jeff Allee says:

December 19, 2021

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Jeff Allee says:

December 19, 2021

There just aren’t enough words to express my sorrow for Chris’ passing. We were friends of Chris and his family since Chris and I were in elementary school at Clara Barton in Anaheim. He was always a tremendous inspiration to me as he reflected all the traits of a tremendous mentor and leader. It was often because of the example he set as a student body leader in high school where we attended at Loara High, that encouraged me to run for office the following year. I can still hear his voice pumping those morning announcements out over the school PA system!
We were on the varsity track team together as well.
Gonna miss you Chris. Glad we were able to reconnect after so many years on social media.

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Lance Carlson says:

December 19, 2021

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Lance Carlson says:

December 19, 2021

I was so saddened to hear about Chris’ sudden passing. He was a close friend back in our adolescent years, and I have many great memories of him and his family. We had recently reconnected over a piece of art of mine he acquired, and we spent a wonderful afternoon getting reacquainted over lunch. I was so happy to see that he was still the same enthusiastic, happy and funny old Chris I knew decades ago.

My sincere condolences to Trish, his family and friends.

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