On June 9, 2023, Jack Mason, 88 of Arcata, passed away at home with his beloved fur friend, Jeb at his side. Our family will forever miss his big grin, funny jokes, teasing and words of wisdom. He will be missed dearly by not only his family but his many friends. Jack was born on November 26, 1934 to Warren Mason and Bertha McClain Mason who named him John Warren Mason but never called him anything but Jack from that day on. Jack grew up in Fieldbrook and attended Fieldbrook School and then Arcata High School (Class of ‘52).

At a picnic at Ivan and Elizabeth Wymore’s ranch, he met Helen Wymore and they became great friends. The friendship would blossom into much more and the two would marry on September 14, 1952, right after high school graduation. They would live in Fieldbrook in the house Jack grew up in for the first few years. In August 1953 their family would grow with the birth of Donna, then Diane followed in 1955, Jackie in 1956 and John in 1960.

Jack began his career with Mason Logging working with his dad and brothers logging near Redwood Creek, later he would work for the Weyhauser Mill in Arcata. He told great stories about his experiences at both jobs, the cast of characters he met there giving him stories for years to come.

In 1963 he and Helen bought a small dairy on the Arcata Bottoms (yes, The Bottoms, he was definitely sure of that!). Mason dairy started with a herd of 24 cows and 10 yearlings. In those early years he continued to work nights at the mill while Helen milked the cows at night. Eventually the dairy would expand its herd size and production so he could retire from the mill. Jack worked 365 days a year for many years. Every activity outside of the ranch revolved around milking time. He loved the dairy, especially the summers when there would be lots of activity with hay hauling and getting the animals ready for local fairs. He loved to tease and joke with the guys hired to help with hauling the hay. Once his son, John, became a partner with him he was able to turn some of the daily chores over to him, Jack enjoyed stepping back and helping when needed. He loved to sit at his barn and visit with neighbors as they drove by, always sharing what he learned from one with the next to pass by. Another favorite pastime was coffee with his buddies at V & N Burger Bar. Linda would open the Burger Bar early just for the group of coffee drinkers for many years and when she tired of it her husband, Jim Roseman opened it for them. Later the group would end up at The Pantry, where Jack loved to tease and joke with Tephi, his favorite waitress. When The Pantry in Arcata closed and the staff moved to the Pantry in Eureka he was lost and sad not to hang out with the group. Fortunately, for him his friend, Harry, started swinging by the ranch and picking him up several times a week and driving him to Eureka.

One of his favorite hobbies was growing and tending to a beautiful vegetable garden each year. He loved to take the grandchildren and later his great-grandchildren into the garden to eat fresh peas. With the birth of his first grandson, Brian, in 1976, Jack would become “Popo” to the next generation. All of his family and friends loved to eat the wonderful vegetables he grew. Although he liked to cook and was a very good cook after Helen passed in 2017 he didn’t cook as much. Lucky for him his friend, Scully, would deliver many delicious meals and baked goods each week for the past five years.

His daughters, Jackie and Donna also visited almost daily to drop off something for dinner, a batch of his favorite cookies or pet food. His daughter Diane would come to help with the housework and a visit to hear the latest happenings around the ranch. Along with Jeb, his beloved dog, Popo cared for many stray barn kitties, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, pigs, and even a flock of geese over the years. They always had a clever name, and an even more clever nick-name. His natural sense of humanity and goodness was evident with the way he cared for all life-forms.

Jack didn’t like to leave the ranch much, but he would accompany Helen on trips to visit relatives or bus trips to Reno. He was not a gambler but Helen was and he would take her winnings and hide them so she couldn’t put them back into the machine. One of their last adventures together was to visit his grandson Justin and his wife Ashley at their home in Missouri. After her death, his travels remained local, but the outings always seemed like a big to-do. He would have dinner in Fortuna with Donna, Krissy, Brian and their families or Thanksgiving at Emily’s in McKinleyville. During the COVID years his grandson Dustin would bring his boys for the Holidays and Popo’s birthday. He enjoyed these times very much, having his family around him and enjoying great meals together. He was always in charge of the turkey!

His family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of the people who stopped by to visit with Jack throughout the years. Your presence brought him so much joy, nothing made him happier than telling an off-color joke and seeing the response it generated. He worked hard his entire life without complaining and set a wonderful example for his family to follow. His legacy will be the land he cared for so diligently for 60 years, that has now evolved into his grandson Jeffrey’s pumpkin patch, Huddie’s Harvest.

Jack was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Helen, his parents, Warren and Bertha (McClain) Mason, his in-laws, Ivan and Elizabeth (Miller) Wymore. He was also preceded in death by his son in-law, Richard Schirmann, his siblings, Ruth (Ford),Jim, Dave and Tim Mason, brother in-law Bill Greenwood, a nephew Gary Wayne Adams, his brother in-law Don Kempf and sister in-law, Doris (Wymore), nephews Dean and Duane Kempf.He is survived by his sister, Charlotte Greenwood and his brother, Gary Lee, his sister-in-law Alice and his four children, Donna (Del), Diane, Jackie and John (Karin) Mason. He also leaves behind his seven grandchildren whom he loved to tease and joke with, Brian Corning (Cindy), Krissy Mora (Joe), Devon Johnson, Dustin Della, Emily Valadao (Dane), Justin Mason (Ashley) and Jeff Mason. They will forever remember their Popo for his fried potatoes and bacon breakfasts. He loved them all dearly and looked forward to their visits so he could continue to tease them and their children…his great-grandchildren, Coltyn, Kaydance and Gage Corning, Cooper and CJ Fish, Brayden Della, Bella, Mekenzie, Oriana and Mason Mora, Jane Mason and Jack, Blake, George and Cruz Valadao.

On September 16, 2023 at 1 pm in the afternoon there will be a Celebration of Jack’s life at the ranch (Mason Dairy) 3364 Foster Avenue, Arcata. Everyone is welcome to join us in the pumpkin patch to share memories and celebrate a life well lived.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jack Mason

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of William Price’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.