Sarah Elizabeth Mason

A celebration of the life of Sarah Elizabeth Ray Mason of Longview, formerly of Tyler, will be at 1:00 P.M., Friday, January 31, 2014 at Christ Episcopal Church, Tyler with the Rev. Matthew Boulter officiating. She was known affectionately to friends and family as Sally and was a resident of Tyler until 2012 after moving from Midland in 1974. She died peacefully at Longview Regional Hospital on Monday, January 27, 2014. Burial will be in Cathedral in the Pines under the direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home.

She was born on August 15, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri, the eldest of three children of Edgar Everett and Elizabeth Eby Ray. When she was 3 years old, her family moved to Dallas; later to Waco and then, back to Dallas where she graduated from Highland Park High School and attended Southern Methodist University. On January 23, 1943, she married Frank Morris Mason from Greenville, Texas in Seattle, Washington where he was stationed as a Navy pilot. They were married for almost 51 years. He died in January, 1994.

Mrs. Mason was a homemaker and mother of four children. She was a cradle Episcopalian and a member of Christ Episcopal Church. She was a long time volunteer for the Arc of Smith County and served a number of years as a board member. She was a past president of the Dallas Landmen’s Wives Association. She donated many volunteer hours to Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Amarillo. She was also an avid bridge player.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two children, William Mason and Allison Mason; sister-in-law, Sue Ray; brother-in-law, Dennis Hoover; sister and brother-in-law, Florence and Albert Mason; and sister-in-law, Virginia Mason.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Laurie Mason and daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Dan Stroup, all of Longview, Texas; her grandchildren, Courtney Stroup Hopping and husband, John of Dallas, Elizabeth Rie Mason of Shenzhen, China, and John Mason and Matthew Mason of Longview; two great-grandchildren, Garrett Hopping and Quinn Hopping of Dallas; sister, Jeanne Hoover of Austin; brother and sister-in-law, Edgar and Pat Ray of California; and numerous nieces and nephews.

If desired, memorial donations may be made to Breckenridge Village, 15062 County Road 1145, Tyler, Texas 75704.