James Alan Bassham, known to many as Al, was born on November 26, 1922, in Sacramento, California (CA), USA. He died on November 19, 2012, in El Cerrito, CA. To celebrate his life at his 3rd death anniversary, we present here a brief biography, comments on his discoveries, but most importantly, remembrances from family and friends; we remember this wonderful and modest person who had played a major pivotal role in the discoveries that led to what he would like to call the P(hotosynthetic) C(arbon) R(eduction) cycle, known to many as the Calvin Cycle, the Calvin–Benson Cycle, or the Calvin–Benson–Bassham Cycle. Based on a personal request by Bassham himself to one of us (Govindjee), we refrain from including his name in the cycle—in recognition of his many students and associates he would have liked to honor.