James “Jimmy” Bassett, 57, of Barefoot Bay, Fla., and formerly of Danbury, died August 20, after fighting end-stage heart disease for more than 14 years. He was born in Danbury, September 20, 1956.

In addition to his wife of 25 years, Sue Sheehan Bassett, his sister Lori Hubina and her husband, Paul, of Newtown, his brother Glen and his wife, Beth, of Brewster, Mass., his sisters Wendy Weyer of Danbury and Allison Sagnelli of Brookfield; his sisters-in-law Maureen Hoock and Eileen McCann; and brother-in-law Terry Sheehan of Trumbull survive Mr Bassett. He also held a special place in his heart for his many nieces and nephews, and was very excited when he became a great-uncle. Last, but not least, he was also a devoted “Dad” to his furry kids. His parents Grace and Jim Bassett, and his in-laws Marge and Bob Sheehan, as well as several animal friends, preceded him in death.

Mr Bassett worked as a printer since high school but the highlight of his professional career was the time he spent working for New Fairfield Press, which became his second family, especially when he first became ill 14 years ago. After moving to Florida, Mr Bassett no longer officially worked, but he did manage to put 453,000 miles on Sue’s 2010 Ford Fusion, and as a result met many special people along the way.

During his spare time he enjoyed his beloved New York Yankees, Giants, and Jets. Thanks to the influence of his late in-laws, he also became a fanatic Lady UConn Huskies fan. But, the sport he adored the most was NASCAR. His wife will especially miss him on Memorial Day, when together they would watch racing starting with The Monaco Formula 1 Race, followed by The Indy 500, and ending the day with The Coke 600.

Mr Bassett’s family wishes to thank the Micco Fire Department who responded to the 911 call and worked tirelessly trying to save his life, and the staff of the Sebastian River Medical Center Emergency Room and ICU who kept him comfortable in his final hours.

A celebration of his life was scheduled at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street, Danbury, Monday, August 25, from 4 to 6 pm, with a prayer service to take place at 6 pm. His cremated remains will be scattered privately by his family, in some very special places, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Breast Friends of Florida, 1103 Hibiscus Boulevard, Suite 405, Melbourne FL 32901 or The Humane Society Vero Beach & Indian River County, PO Box 644, Vero Beach FL 32961-0644.