Edward Mason
Edward “Ed” Leon Mason, 70, died Feb. 8, 2022, at home in Wolf Point.
He was born in Central Lake, Mich., on Feb. 17, 1942, youngest of three children of Vercil and Maud Mason, joining sisters Nancy and Helen. He graduated High School in Lakeview, Mich., in June 1960. He enlisted in the USAF in January 1961 and began his career as an aircraft mechanic.
He married Diana Sloan in June 1961. His first overseas assignment was to Germany and their two children, Cerise Lynne and Edward Cash, were born there. He had a notable and distinguished career in the USAF and was the crew chief on various fighter jets, including the F104 and the F16. He served in Thailand in the Vietnam era. He was at Bitburg Air Force Base in Germany from December 1971 to June 1976, Edwards Air Force Base in California and at Keflavik, Iceland, from August 1977 to August 1979. His last assignment was to Cairo, Egypt, in 1982, where he served as senior maintenance advisor to the Egyptian Air Force for the Peace Vector Program.
There, he met his future wife, Sandi. He retired from the Air Force at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in January 1983 and started work for General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, the following day. He and Sandi were married in Fort Worth, Texas, in August 1983, then had a church ceremony in Whitstable, Kent, England, in September 1983.
They went to Venezuela in October 1983, where he was an integral part of the team that taught the Venezuelan Air Force to fly and maintain the F16. He then worked for Martin Matietta at Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Santa Maria, Calif., on the Peacekeeper Missile, then Rockwell on the B1B Stealth Bomber and finally returned to General Dynamics at Edwards Air Force Base in California, working as crew chief again on the F16.
They moved back to the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 1993, this time for Sandi’s career and he worked as a mechanic until he retired in 2004. They were in Cheyenne, Wyo., for a year and, in October 2006, they finally moved to the house they had owned for years in St. Marie. They spent 11 very happy years in St. Marie, before Sandi’s job at the hospital brought them to Wolf Point in October 2017.
He was a lifetime member of the VFW in Glasgow. He loved being a grandfather and loved seeing his grandchildren. He had a passion for golf, enjoyed working on projects around the house and loved to travel.
He was preceded in death by a grandson, Christopher Heidenthal; and sister, Nancy.
He is survived by his wife, Sandi; daughter, Cerise) Heidenethal of Terry; son, Cash Mason of Castle Rock, Colo.; sister, Helen of Grand Rapids, Mich.; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service was held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
