Biography: Gus Mose Blass, II known to many as ?Buddy?, of Little Rock passed away on May 8, 2016 in Little Rock surrounded by his family and friends. Gus is survived by his wife, Patricia of over 66 years. She married him when she was twenty years old and was the love of his life. She was his partner in everything he did and undertook. She was his backbone, best friend, and true love. Gus is also survived by two married children, Gus Blass III and wife Becky, and Connie Blass O?Neill and husband, Chris along with five grandchildren, Amanda, Kristen, Isabel and Jack O?Neill and Alex Blass and wife, Lauren. Gus Blass graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1940 and enrolled at the University of Arkansas. He was a member of the Stag Club, was an officer in P.I.E. Fraternity and attended Boys State in Little Rock. He was a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, 2nd Lt. in the R.O.T.C. and a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity where as an alumnus he was active in raising funds for a new house and then honored by being named a Significant Sig. During his junior year he was called up to the Army, but before leaving school he was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society of the Business School as one of very few in the United States to receive this academic honor without first graduating from a 4-year institution. In the Army, Gus completed his basic training at Camp Walters, Texas as a commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Calvary. He then shipped overseas on the Queen Mary with 14,000 other servicemen, traveled for two days by cattle car in the middle of a very cold winter arriving on the frontline as a replacement officer before the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. He was a Platoon Commander in Company A of the 24th Calvary Reconnaissance Squad of the 4th Calvary Group. During the Battle of the Bulge, his squadron led the re-entery into Aachen and then led the advance that crossed the Rohr River into Germany. His 24th Reconnaissance Squadron was in the assault on Cologne, along with 3 infantry divisions and the 3rd Armored Division. The 4th Calvary group, which the 24th Squadron was a part, ran the point for the 3rd Armored Division. As part of the first troops to arrive in Cologne, their job was to clear the center of the city and the Cologne Cathedral of German snipers which surprisingly had not been destroyed despite all the bombing of the city. After Cologne was captured, his platoon was part of the first armored car and tank solders to cross the Remagen Bridge. Army engineers put up intense smoke all up and down the river from the bridge to keep the Germans from bombarding it. The bridge was weak and could only hold armored cars and light tanks. After securing ground east of Rhine River, the 24th Squadron led the army to encircle and capture thousands of German soldiers. The 4th Calvary Group then went north toward Kasol and joined the British Army where they entrapped another 100,000 German soldiers. Gus was wounded at Nordhausen where one of the worse concentration camps was discovered. He could always remember that they could smell the stench from the prison camp for 15 miles. Gus received the Purple Heart for his wounds along with battle ribbons for European African Middle East, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. After the war, Gus began his business career at the Gus Blass Company where he was promoted to Division Merchandise Manager. He left to start Capital Savings & Loan in 1961 and later Capital Properties in 1970. Under his leadership, Capital Savings grew to almost $100 million in assets before it was sold in 1980. Gus, along with his wife continued in business as General Managers of Capital Properties and were later joined by their son Gus III as a third General Manager after graduating from college. Gus was very active in many community affairs, serving as campaign chairman of Pulaski County Community Chest in 1956 and then as Chairman. Under his leadership, one million dollars was raised for the first time. The following year he was president of Pulaski County Health & Welfare Council. He served as President of Pulaski County American Red Cross, and under his guidance money was raised for its new building in Fair Park. Gus, was active in problems of aging people in the state and was appointed by Gov. Faubus as chairman of the Governors council on aging, which made much progress in jobs and health issues for the aging. He also served on the State Revenue Commission, which bought the land where the new buildings were built on the Capitol grounds. He served as co-chairman to raise 3 million dollars for St. Vincent?s new hospital and improvements, and vice-chairman of a major division to raise money for the new Baptist Hospital. Gus was very active in the Quapaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts. He served on the Board for over 8 decades including twice as Council President, chaired the drive that raised funds for the new Boy Scouts building located on Cantrell Road and was co-chairman to raise the funds to buy land and build a new camp at Damascus in 1979. He received the Silver Beaver Award at the council level for distinguished service to scouting and the Silver Antelope award for his untiring work in the South Central Region of Scouts. He received the George Carter Award from the Grand Lodge of Masonry for his work in the scouting, received the National Scout Council Winthrop P. Rockefeller award for fund raising for Scouting, the Torah award from Temple B?Nai Israel for his long time support of scouting and the John C. West award for efforts to finance the work in scouting. For all his past services, the Scout council named the Scout Reservation in Damacus, the ?Gus Blass Reservation? in his honor. Gus was an active Mason and received his 33 degree in 1950. He served as Capitan of Camp Guard of Scottish Rite for 15 years and was Trustee and Treasurer of Scottish Rite Bodies for many years. He was one of the youngest to receive the 33 degree at the age of 43 in 1969, and was the oldest 33-degree Mason in Arkansas upon his death. He was also a member of the Shrine and Grotto. The Arkansas Democrat in a poll of voters that the newspaper sponsored elected him man of the year in Little Rock in 1961. The United Stated Junior State Chamber of Commerce awarded him its distinguished service award for Community Service in 1955. In addition to the Boy Scouts and others mentioned, he served on the following boards: YMCA, Salvation Army, Light House of the Blind, St. Vincent Foundation, UALR Advisory Board, Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Council of Aging, the Health and Welfare council of Pulaski County and the Community Chest. During his business career, he was a board member of Meyers Bakery, Capital Savings & Loan, State Savings and Loan, Foreman Cement Company, Worthern Bank and Trust, Boatmans of Arkansas, Bank of America of Arkansas and The Federal Savings & Loan in Harrison. In 1980 Gus was appointed to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees serving as Vice President and was very active in starting the new Arkansas Cancer Research Center at UAMS. In the 1955 school crisis, he took on active leadership in S.T.O.P. (Stop this Outrageous Purge) to keep public schools operating in greater Little Rock, and prevented a recall election of the School Board members He was a former member of the Chamber of Commerce and headed the Industrial Committee. With the help of his leadership, the Jacuzzi plant was located in Little Rock. This was the first manufacturing company in the 1960?s to come to Little Rock since the 1957 school crises. He helped found ?Fifty for the Future? to bring industry to Pulaski county. Gus and wife Pat have been very active in horse racing since the late 1960?s. They won the Travers Stakes with Annihilate?em in 1973. In addition, they raced many stake winners including My Friend Gus, Me and Connie, Patsy?s Girl, Fun and Tears, Fun Flight, Flight Forty Nine, Tricky Fun, Pink Shoes, Wildcat Shoes and others. He was very active in raising funds for recreation/Chaplain Hall for use by the grooms and hot walkers working at Oaklawn Park during the meet. His main interest was helping people and working on projects to improve city, county and state. He was active in Temple B?Nai Israel serving on its board several times and instrumental in building the new Temple in West Little Rock. His family would like give special thanks to Rodney Williams, Vicky Tatum, Denise Buford, Gregg Green and Dwayne White along with the wonderful doctors and nurses in the intensive care unit at St. Vincent?s Hospital. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Quapaw Area Council Boy Scouts Camp Scholarships for disadvantaged boys.