Freda Wilkerson Bass (1949-2017)

Freda Wilkerson Bass died on the morning of Wednesday, the 27th of December 2017, in Houston. Freda was born on the 25th of July 1949, in Terre Haute, Indiana, to Janet Sessoms Wilkerson, a Ph.D. candidate in early childhood development, and Edward Lee Wilkerson, a surgeon and community development venture capitalist.

Dr. Wilkerson's career took their family to Germany in 1953 and then to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where the family's arrival desegregated their new neighborhood. The challenges of the time during which she was a student — particularly desegregation and the civil rights movement — shaped her. Decades later she still remembered pivotal moments growing up such as when she trained her entire high school cheerleading team how to do backflips and cartwheels, but then was not chosen for the team because the school didn't have Black cheerleaders. Experiences like this fueled her competitive drive.

Even as a child, Freda always enjoyed numbers. She attended Major Work, a Cleveland public school program for gifted children. Her career in finance began during high school when she worked summer jobs as a bank teller, over time developing a preternatural intuitive math ability. She met her future husband, Andrew "Tony" Bass, at Farm and Wilderness summer camp when they were both 15. Freda majored in economics at Stanford University and transferred to Cornell University where she received her BA in 1971. She was one of only a few African-American women students in her class at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, graduating with an MBA in 1973.

On the recommendation of a professor at Wharton who recognized her financial acumen, Freda started work at Exxon Corporation in June of 1973. She thrived in finance and strategic planning for 39 years at Exxon, excelling in a variety of business segments including domestic and foreign oil and gas operations, frontier area oil exploration, chemicals, coal and minerals, as well as at corporate headquarters. Freda did things her way, in part perhaps because she was often the first. Her friends and former colleagues describe her as "a trailblazer," "kind and giving," "quick-witted," "intelligent," a "brilliant mind," "a force of nature," "wise," "no-nonsense or BS," and "an extraordinary woman who lit a path for many."

Her siblings, in awe of her natural leadership abilities, have lovingly referred to her as "Il Duce" since childhood. She was admired for her accomplishments in one of the most competitive and high-performing corporate groups in the country. She was a great leader, a role model for women in business and an impactful mentor and coach to many who sought her guidance.

Her strength of intellect, character, integrity and grace were matched with a sense of humor and an enjoyable laugh. She was willfully optimistic. She had a way of making people feel good about themselves which stemmed from genuine humility and humanity. She believed that what people are capable of is influenced by what you expect of them. In her work she was an active proponent of diverse teams. In working with people across the globe, she found that when people from different backgrounds, cultures, or genders work together to create solutions, outcomes are often better and more efficient.

An avid world traveler for both work and leisure, she had a propensity for showing up for flights a nanosecond before the doors of the plane closed. Her career brought her to Australia, where she developed an interest in Aboriginal art and a love of quiet beaches. Freda loved applying her finance skills to public service work. She took tremendous joy in her work on the boards of Texas Children's Hospital, St. John's School, the Houston Zoo, ExxonMobil Foundation, the Episcopal Health Foundation, and the Farm and Wilderness Foundation. She was also a member of the Financial Executives Institute and co-founder of the Houston Business Forum. Freda was a planner, a maker of lists, and an assigner of tasks. She was also an excellent cook who enjoyed preparing foods with specially procured ingredients, including Malaysian cuisine.

An avid equestrian, she encouraged her daughters to ride and compete in horse shows. She delighted in her multifaceted life, sharing joy with friends and family. Following the death of her mother, Janet, Freda became the family matriarch and led her family with love and care. In her final years she concluded, "I've had a wonderful life." Freda is survived by her two daughters, Drew and Callie Bass, her siblings, Joyce, Edward, and Elizabeth Wilkerson, sister-in-law Gill Bass, nephew Jackson Young, brother-in-law Tetsuki Ijichi, and extended Kirkland family. Her husband, Tony, died in 2014. A celebration of her life was held yesterday afternoon at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her honor can be made to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston or the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Published in Houston Chronicle on Jan. 14, 2018