Louis Michael ‘Lou’ Basso

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 20, 2016, at Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home for Louis Michael “Lou” Basso, Jr., who died Friday, June 17, 2016 at the age of almost 86 after a short illness.
Deacon Daniel Besse will officiate for the services. The family requests visiting from 1 p.m. to service time. In following his wishes he will be cremated and interment will take place at a later date.  
Lou was born in July, 1930, in Haverhill, Massachusetts as the only child to Marion Cimino and Louis Michael Basso, Sr. After graduating from Leland Powers School of Broadcasting in Boston, MA, Lou was sent to KSIG-AM Radio in Crowley where he started his career in radio. He met the beautiful Joyce Wriborg at a dance and then married her a year later, on July 7, 1952. In 1953, he was drafted into the Army and moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Their first child, Melinda, was born in Haverhill, and then Joyce joined him in North Carolina, where he served out his military duty. They moved back to Crowley to make their home, and then had the rest of their children: Gina, Mike, and Chrissy. He also returned to KSIG, making radio his lifelong career, eventually becoming General Manager and Owner of both KSIG-AM in Crowley and KTQQ-FM (Q101) in Sulphur before retiring in 1990.
 In retirement, he fulfilled his lifelong dream, and some think his Italian destiny, of growing and managing a tomato garden. Over the years, Lou’s garden became legendary in Crowley, growing a variety of vegetables. Lou’s tomatoes were sold all over Crowley, and the garden was going strong until his death.
 Lou is survived by his wife of almost 64 years, Joyce Wriborg; four children: Melinda Maxwell (Lafayette), Gina Smith and her husband, Jim of Carter Lake, Iowa, Louis Michael “Mike” Basso, III of New Boston, Texas, and Chrissy Bienvenu and her husband Robert of Baton Rouge. He was also “Popa Lou” to seven grandchildren: Nicole Lizotte of Lafayette, Brad Bourgeois and his wife Rachel of Houston, Texas, Leslie Bourgeois of Omaha, NE, Nick Basso of New Boston, Tony Basso of New Boston, Marion Bienvenu of Baton Rouge and Thomas Bienvenu of Lafayette; and three great-grandchildren: Chase Bourgeois, Maxwell Bienvenu, and Laney Bourgeois.
Lou was preceded in death by his parents.
 In November 2013, he told his family, “When I go, you can’t say I didn’t do it all.”
Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.geesey-ferguson.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, 301 North Avenue F, Crowley, LA 70526, 337-783-3313