Alta Bassett Day

Mary Alta Bassett Day, most recently of Boise, Idaho passed away on April 5, 2025 at the age of 98. She was born on November 22, 1926 in Sayre, Pennsylvania. She moved with her family to Watkins Glen, NY when she was young, where she lived until she graduated from high school. Both her parents were musicians and the house was always full of music.

Following in her parents’ footsteps, Alta graduated from Fredonia College with a degree in Music. She then taught music and general education in several small schools in New York State before she decided to move to California in 1951 in search of better opportunities.

She did post-graduate studies at San Jose State College for one year while teaching elementary school in the Union School District in San Jose where she met her husband, Henry Day, who taught music at Parker School.

Alta was musically gifted and played piano with verve and skill. She particularly enjoyed the works of Dvorak, Grieg, Chopin and Hayden. She was also a flautist and vocalist, and enjoyed singing with church and community choirs with her lovely soprano voice.

Alta and my dad shared a love for music and each other and married in 1955. They welcomed their first child, Rebecca, in 1956 and their second child, Susan, in 1958. Both daughters shared their love of music and Susan went on to become a professional violinist of some renown in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attributes much of her inspiration to the encouragement and participation of Alta, who practiced with Susan on a daily basis and shared the joy of music with her.

After having her children, Alta concentrated on teaching private music lessons at home, both piano and flute. Henry continued his music teaching career in the public schools and music continued to be an important part of their lives.

Alta and Henry also shared a love for travel and they took many adventures during their life together. They lived in Spain for a year in 1966 and 1967 and traveled extensively throughout Western Europe. The family returned again for a summer in 1969 and then Henry and Alta began their travels to other continents around the world. They also visited Alta’s East Coast family and kept those relationships alive.

Both were very involved in their church during those years. Henry taught himself to play the organ and Alta sang in the choir. Their final years together were spent in Watsonville, California after a number of years in Los Gatos and Aromas, California.

Alta loved to sew and her quilts still grace the homes of her children and grandchildren. Most of all, she loved her children and grandchildren and spread kindness and warmth wherever she went. She was a lovely person.

She particularly affected the life of her daughter Rebecca when she transferred her love of history and her Bassett family to Rebecca at a young age. It is a continuing passion which Rebecca is happy to share. Alta was interested in so many things and keen to learn but without a judgmental attitude.

Alta is preceded in death by her husband Henry, who passed away in 2018. After his death she lived for some years in Watsonville, then Salinas, California, but most recently at the Grace Assisted Living facility in Boise, Idaho.

Alta’s family would like to thank the staff of Grace Assisted Living and AllCare, the hospice company, who cared for her during her last weeks of life. They were compassionate and tender with her. We are so grateful.

Alta will be interred with Henry at the Lakeview Cemetery in Interlaken, New York this summer. It is a graceful, beautiful place, just like her. She will be sorely missed.