Woodstock Leaders Remember Tessa Basford As Model Public Servant

Photo: Tessa Basford, center, during her September 2011 swearing in ceremony with daughter Katie, right, and Cherokee County State Court Judge A. Dee Morris. Credit: city of Woodstock/Facebook

Woodstock residents and leaders this weekend will be able to say their final goodbyes to Tessa Basford, the Ward 6 City Council member who passed away early Monday morning after a battle with cancer.

Funeral services for Basford will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 at Lakeside Funeral Home, located at 121 Claremore Drive in Woodstock. Chaplain Ron Anspaugh will officiate the service. A reception will be held immediately following services at the Chambers at City Center, located at 8534 Main Street in Woodstock.

Visitation for Basford will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 at the funeral home.

Basford started her term on the council on Sept. 13, 2010, filling the unexpired term of former council member Steve Faris. She was elected to her first full term in November 2011.

City Manager Jeff Moon said when Faris told him of his plans to resign, he noted Faris said he was “encouraging someone to run that was really special and would make an excellent council member.”

“He may have underestimated her abilities,” Moon stated.

The city manager, who said his heart is broken because he feels as “though I have lost a mentor, friend and sister,” stated Basford was a public servant “in the truest sense of the word.”

“In a day and age when cynicism reigns, Tessa was an example of a true servant leader,” he stated. (She was) always caring for others (and) always caring about others. It was never about her. At times when she was feeling bad from the treatments, I would call her to just chat hoping that I could maybe cheer her up. Each time I got off the phone with her, I would realize that she had managed to cheer me up. That’s just how she was.”

Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques said he was shocked that Basford lost her battle with cancer at the age of 48. Basford lived in the Deer Run neighborhood and served on its HOA, which is how Henriques — a former Deer Run resident — got to know the council member. So, when she decided to run for Faris’s seat, Henriques said he didn’t hesitate to support his neighbor.

During the last council meeting Basford attended — Monday, Sept. 8 — Henriques said Basford told him she was feeling weak and had developed “complications” in her battle.

However, the mayor stated that didn’t stop Basford from being her usual self: doing her homework and paying attention to details presented during the meeting. Even throughout her chemotherapy treatments, Basford pressed on with fulfilling the duties Woodstock residents expected of her, Henriques stated.

“That speaks to her character and determination in fighting the disease,“ he added. “It was inspiring to the rest of us. It motivated me, for sure.”

Henriques also said Basford was passionate about the city’s public safety employees and its leaders, a statement Woodstock Police Chief Calvin Moss can attest to.

When he signed on to serve as the police chief in 2012, Moss said he was struck by the council member’s kindness and compassion for the city’s residents, employees, senior citizens and youth. Overtime, Moss said he came to respect Basford as “a woman of character, a loving family woman, a tough-as-nails elected official and the embodiment of a commitment to public service.”

While on the council, Basford served on the Woodstock Public Safety Foundation’s board of directors and was an advocate for the Cherokee County Special Olympics, which Moss said speaks to her dedication to put service above self.

“She never allowed her diagnosis slow her down,” he stated. “She was committed to making a difference whenever and wherever she could. Even while undergoing treatment and juggling doctors’ appointments, she always wanted to know how she could help. Tessa was a woman with a heart to serve a community she deeply loved. A true lady, Tessa lived her life with dignity and grace. The women and men of the Woodstock Police Department shall be eternally grateful for her leadership, kindness, inspiration and friendship. She will be dearly missed.”

Even though he’s only been on the council for less than a year, Warren Johnson said he and Basford had already become friends. Basford was always willing to listen to everyone’s point of view and provide “constructive feedback” on any topic.

Johnson, who represents Ward 1, added his colleague’s attitude “towards personal challenges was inspiring.”

“She always had a smile and a great attitude,” he stated. “She was an inspiration to me and I hope I can face my own challenges, whether personal, career, or council related, with half the grace that she displayed. She will be missed.”

Along with her service as swim coach with Special Olympics and as a member of the Foundation’s board, Basford also served on the board and as president of the Deer Run Homeowners Association. Basford graduated from Florida State University and spent her professional career protecting and advocating for the civil and human rights of individuals with disabilities.

She is survived by her husband, Wayne; daughter, Katie; parents, Bill and Sheila Little, all of Woodstock; brother, David Little of Amelia, Ohio; and by nieces, cousins and hundreds of beloved friends.

Ward 5 Councilman Bud Leonard said he had the chance to bond with Basford in their participation in the city’s July 4 and Christmas parades. Leonard stated Basford told him the parades were the highlights of the year for her, and they both had so much with the crowd and with each other.

Leonard believed Basford will be remembered for her integrity, honesty and her consistent desire to put the needs of the city ahead of her own.

“She didn’t have an agenda,” Leonard stated. “Her main thoughts was what was going to be the best decision for the city. Tessa will be very much missed not only by the city, but by the community she served.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks residents to make donations to Loving Arms Cancer Outreach at 833 Campbell Hill Street in Marietta or to the Woodstock Public Safety Foundation at 12453 Highway 92 in Woodstock.