George J (Pudgie) Mason, 93 years and 355 days young of Ottawa, formally from Marseilles, was called home by the Lord while he slept peacefully on February 12, 2022.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 am Saturday, February 19 at the Ottawa Funeral Home with Kevin Mason officiating. Visitation will be from 4:30 pm until 7:00 pm Friday and 10:00 to 10:30 Saturday at the Ottawa Funeral Home. Burial will be at Oakwood Memorial Park with military honors.
George was born on the February 22, 1928 in Marseilles to Samuel and Mary Julia (Berutti) Mason. He was a graduate of Marseilles High School in 1946, and later drafted into US Army and fought in the Korean War from 1952 – 1953. He married JoAnn C Hadley on June 6, 1953 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church “Evangelical United Methodist” Ottawa. George was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. When he was not at work, he had a love of hunting, fishing, gardening and flowers; along with attending high school sporting and concert events at both Ottawa and Marquette. He participated in a trivia team in the late 1990’s thru mid 2000’s, had a love for traveling, square dancing and playing cards (euchre, cribbage, poker and pinochle with anyone that had a deck or 2 of cards.) He enjoyed most of all people; he said there aren’t any strangers, just people I haven’t met yet.
He retired from LOF in 1990 after a 38+ year career and enjoyed being a McKinley School crossing guard from the fall of 1990 until the end of school year 2005. During the 1960’s, he served as PTO President as well as Cub Scout Pack Master for Pack 45 (Trinity Lutheran Church), grew Roses for Jackson Perkins for many years, and was a member of the Marseilles Lions Club, (Melvin Jones Fellow 2001/Foundation Fellow 2007) Ottawa VFW Post 2470, (Chaplin) and American Legion Post 33 Ottawa and was involved with other various Veteran events and causes. He was a member of the Evangelical United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, JoAnn; son, Kevin (Nancy) Mason of Ottawa; grandsons, Cory Willet of Ottawa, J. James Mason of Fayetteville Tn; along with 3 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Alabama and Colorado.
He is preceded in death by both parents, his sisters, Effie Mason, Dorothy (M) Sherman, Jean Ann (M) Kerosene, Mary (M) Eye; and his brothers, Samuel and John.
Pallbearers will be Robert Fiesel, Wendell Sherman, Cory Willet, J. James Mason, Kayden Mason and Damien Mason. Honorary Pallbearer will be Robert Kinkin and Arthur Barron.
He was laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms.