Ronald Gregory Bassett, 63, of Ocean City, passed away December 10, 2023, at Atlantic General Hospital. Known as Greg, he was a well-respected journalist whose career spanned more than 40 years.

Hundreds filled the Green Hill Country Club on December 15 remembering the life of beloved community leader and newspaperman. Mourners reflected on Bassett’s commitment to the entire Salisbury community. Family members offered loving tributes, applauding Bassett’s devotion as a father and mentor.

Bassett joined The Daily Times in 1987 as a reporter and rose to the role of executive editor before departing Gannett in 2013, and in 2014 launched The Independent.

According to his obituary, it was his love of news that led him back to The Daily Times in Salisbury where he went to work full time as a reporter. He was named Editorial Page Editor two years later. He met his ex-wife, Catherine Bassett, in the newsroom where she worked as a reporter.

Their life would take them to Washington, D.C., where from 1993-1997, he was an Assistant News Editor for the Washington bureau of Thomson Newspapers, which owned The Daily Times at the time.

He later served as Assistant City Editor for The Capital in Annapolis before returning to his dream job as the Managing Editor of The Daily Times in 1999. He was later named Executive Editor, then General Manager of Delmarva Media Group, until 2013.

During his career he helped shape the voice of the community, and led important news coverage that made an impact. He served as moderator of numerous political debates where his tough questions mixed with his likable personality made everyone feel at ease.

In 2014, he helped create the Salisbury Independent, a newspaper which was an enormous source of pride for him. His dedication to the community finally had an outlet to share positive news alongside breaking news of the day. He also served as host of PAC-14’s One on One, where he recorded more than 600 interviews with elected officials and other newsmakers.

The Greg Bassett Memorial Fund has been established at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, accepting donations to continue Bassett’s legacy of dedicated local journalism.

Photo: Salisbury Independent