EDDIE BASHA: Arizona has lost a real superhero

By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Blog Editor

The Gazette Blog would be remiss if we didn’t note the passing of Eddie Basha.

With all the yahoos and wingnuts in our state, Basha stands in bold contrast as one of the truly great Arizonans. You've probably been hearing about his legendary contributions in The Arizona Republic and on local TV newscasts.

But let me just summarize by noting his lifelong commitment to civil rights, to people in need of help, to education, to the arts, to his employees, and even to his competition. That’s right: Basha once saved a Valley chain of IGA stories from going under by providing its owner with supplies, trucks and groceries.

In this era of greedy, faceless corporations, Eddie Basha was a throwback to another time, a time when customers had faces, employees were considered family, and competitors were still your neighbors.

When Basha’s supermarket chain fell briefly into bankruptcy a few years ago, I wrote a column in the print version of the Rim Country Gazette about Eddie, his contributions to Arizona, and the importance of supporting his Payson store. I received a personal letter from him thanking me for my support.

How did he know? Turns out Eddie Basha read the Gazette. And he actually remembered working with me briefly on an educational video in the Valley many years earlier.

Maybe the best way to remember Basha is by the message printed on a card he always carried in his wallet. It read: “The hand of help has no color. The face of caring has no shape. The language of love has no accent.”

I can think of no greater way to pay tribute to Eddie Basha and what he has done for all of us than to redouble our support of the local market that bears his name, and that is still run by his children.

It is the only local, family-owned supermarket chain left in Arizona.

See you at Basha’s.