Stephen A Basic

Stephen Anthony Basic, 60, passed away at Englewood (NJ) Hospital at sunrise on Monday, January 1, 2024, after a long illness. Stephen was born on July 8, 1963 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the middle child and only son of Steve G. and Joan M. (Zaninovich) Basic. He was a 1981 graduate of River Dell Regional High School in Oradell, New Jersey, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications in 1985 from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio (where his college buddies bestowed him with his nickname of “Basecat”). Stephen was fiercely loyal to, and cherished every moment he could spend with, his family and friends far and wide, who will miss his dry sense of humor and vibrant personality. He was generous to a fault, always the first to step up to help anyone in need. He was a devoted companion to his parents in their later years. Stephen had an encyclopedic mind with the seemingly effortless ability to pull even the most obscure fact out of a hat and throw it into a conversation, especially if the discussion was about one of his many interests and passions, in particular, sports, music, western films and books, or Civil War history. While he enjoyed his time playing in the Oradell Little League as a youngster and in neighborhood pick-up games as he got older, Stephen was best known for being the consummate die-hard sports fan, whether he was rooting for his beloved New York Rangers, New York Yankees, the Bobcats of his alma mater Ohio University, or the Croatian national soccer team. Truth be told, he appreciated all well-fought and well-played matches, amateur or professional, and could frequently be found watching a game with score sheet and pencil at the ready. He was a avid collector of sports memorabilia. Stephen had perfect pitch and a beautiful and powerful singing voice; in his youth, he regularly sang with his sisters (with mom at the piano) at events at the Saints Cyril & Methodius and Saint Raphael Catholic Church in New York City, the Croatian parish of which his family were long-time members. While he appreciated all genres of music, country music and classic rock were his particular favorites, and it was not uncommon for him to road-trip to catch a favorite singer or band in concert. Stephen also enjoyed watching Hollywood Western serials and movies with his dad and reading novels of the Old West. Stephen was a self-taught and well-regarded historian and researcher of the American Civil War, an avocation sparked by a childhood visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park; over the years, he accumulated a vast and impressive library dedicated to the subject. He participated for many years in the Civil War Round Table of New York and attended, and often organized, numerous Civil War Musters with other like-minded enthusiasts at historical battlefields around the country. Stephen is survived by his sister, Anne Marie, his niece, Mikayla Rose, and numerous extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents and by his younger sister, Mary K.. Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday, January 5, 2024, at Volk Leber Funeral Home, 268 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell, New Jersey. A prayer service will be offered during visitation at the funeral home. Cremation is private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a charity near and dear to Stephen’s heart, at www.stjude.org.

Stephen A Basic

July 8, 1963 - January 1, 2024