Basil Calvin Hedrick

Base, 84, passed away Feb. 25, 2017 at his home in Lenexa, KS.

Born March 17, 1932 in Lewistown, MO, Basil was the son of the late Capt. Truman & LaVeta Hedrick of Moline, IL. His first job as a deckhand on his father's steamboat on the Mississippi began a love of boats & the water. He graduated from Moline High School & rec'd a B.A. in History/Foreign Languages at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL in '56. As a junior, he rec'd a Fulbright Scholarship from the Mexican gov't to spend a year there, thus launching a lifetime love affair with Latin America - influencing his studies, writing & career, & a passion for travel & research. In '53, he & two pals climbed Popocatepetl (5,636 m), an active volcano in Mexico. He also loved music & played guitar in a group.

His M.A. in Inter-Amer. Studies (History, Sociology, Geography) was at the Univ. of FL, Gainesville ('57). There, he was Asst. Dir. of the School of Inter-Amer. Studies & met his first wife, Anne Kehoe. They had a daughter, Anne (Anita). In '65 he rec'd a Ph.D. in Latin Amer. Studies from Inter-American Univ., Mexico City. His dissertation, in Spanish, concerned the feathered serpent-god of Mesoamerican culture, Quetzalcoatl. Able to read or converse ("or at least swear") in 8 languages, Base had an enduring enthusiasm for languages & witty ripostes. An avid reader & writer, he was always funny, cheerful, generous & optimistic. A number of lucky cats were to adopt him as "their human."

They moved to Fullerton, CA where he taught Foreign Languages/Soc. Studies ('63-67) & became Asst. to the Director of Fullerton College.

A moved back to Carbondale, IL started Base upwards in academia/museology at Southern Illinois Univ.: from Curator of Exhibits ('63) to Asst. Director/Asst. Professor of the Univ. Museum & Art Galleries ('67-'69) to Dean of Int'l Education ('72-'74) & finally Director, Professor & Curator of Anthropology at the Museum ('70-'77). While there, he won a Fulbright-Hays lectureship at the Nat'l Fine Arts Museum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In '70, a whirlwind collecting expedition for the Museum sent them to Vietnam, Nepal & Afghanistan.

While Asst. Director of the Illinois State Museum, Springfield ('78-'81), he met & married Susan Pickel in "80.

Offered the Directorship of the Univ. Museum, Fairbanks, the couple moved to "the end of the zip code" ('80-'88). He loved Alaska & was active in historic preservation as well as Prof. of Museum Science & History. A witty & entertaining Guest Lecturer for several cruise lines saw him back on his beloved ships.

Lured away to head a new Division of Museums, Archaeology & Publications in Lansing, MI ('88-''91), Base & Susan moved back to the "Lower '48".

In '91, they moved to Bellevue, WA to both work at the new Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art. Base continued museum consulting (with a diverse list from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. to Experience Music Project in Seattle), plus fascinating sideline work for IOTA Partners/ Sea Search Armada, who did underwater salvage & archaeology, again utilizing his prodigious talent in Spanish.

Although 2003 saw his "semi, demi, quasi" retirement in Lenexa, KS, Base still kept busy teaching Spanish for Friends Univ. & doing Spanish/English translation in hospitals, homes & clinics in the Kansas City area. They joined All Souls Unitarian Church of Kansas City, MO.

Throughout his life he was elected to Who's Who in America & was a member of Phi Kappa Phi (Nat'l Scholastic), Phi Alpha Theta (History), Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) & Gamma Alpha Beta (Service), plus leadership roles in museum & history organizations.

Basil is survived by his wife, Susan of Lenexa, KS; his daughter, Anita Caraker & grandson, Dylan Caraker of Indianapolis, IN.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at 2 p.m., April 1 at All Souls Unitarian Church, 4501 Walnut St., Kansas City MO.

*In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Pet-Rescue Project or City Union Mission, both of Kansas City.