Schel Chalfant Mason

Schel Chalfant Mason was born April 25, 1969 in Dallas, Texas. Born six minutes after her twin sister, Schel took her paternal grandmother’s family name and her sister, Griffith, took her maternal grandmother’s family name. Parents, Gwynn and Wilson Mason were covered for family naming-rights!

Schel became “Sweet Schel” from the moment she was born with her even disposition and willingness to put others first. By high school at Highland Park, she was cheerleading, performing in school plays and running track…it was apparent that tenacity and courage would be her hallmark. Always determined, she would ignore an injured knee in relay to bring her track team in first.

In college at UT Austin, Schel honed her artistic skills and graduated with a BA in Studio Art. She tried her own artistic endeavors from creating gift baskets to large color saturated paintings. Then she discovered the jewelry of the art world in Santa Fe, New Mexico and began designing her own jewelry line. She settled on designing and fabricating unique pieces of jewelry with the colors and style of the bold ethnicity of Santa Fe that her following admired.

Two years ago, Schel faced cancer with the same spunk and energy that she had shown when encountering any challenge in her life. Still beautiful, she was always the positive courageous woman in the bold colored “cancer bandana” who came back week after week with her courage on her sleeve – this was the “heart courage” of old that meant “to speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart”. She held hands with those who cried, gave encouragement to those who could no longer talk, and embraced the friend who recently had lost his leg.

Courage is a heart word and Schel had abundant courage, cour. She met cancer with all the courage and goodwill she had trained for. She gave so much more than she took. She will be missed. Missed by her family and friends; her loyal high school buddies, Pi Beta Phi Sisters who offered encouragement and support, and the many others under treatment who were touched by her special spirit and strength.

‘We love you Sweet Schel’

There will be a double Celebration of Life for Schel and Griffith, Sunday, February 11, 2024 at Arlington Hall, 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd. in Dallas, TX 75219, at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of choice.