James Mason Cross

Mason is preceded in death by his father, John Todd Cross. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Collins Cross and their two children, James Russell Cross and Caroline Beck Cross. Mason is also survived by his mother, Shirley Beck Cross of Gadsden, and siblings Susan Cross Coxhead of Birmingham, Grace Cross Brown (Chuck) of Gadsden, John Todd Cross, Jr. (Tracy) of Gadsden and Beck Cross (Terisa) of Little Rock, Ark. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews.

Mason was born on July 24, 1959, in Gadsden and was the fourth of five children. Mason was a standout athlete at Westminster Christian School. Mason graduated from Auburn University in 1982 and was owner of Cross Printing in Gadsden before embarking on a 33-year career as a commercial printing broker in Birmingham.

Mason had a rare charm. His quick wit, dry sense of humor and sincere empathy endeared him to family, friends and anyone he came in contact with. Mason’s first priority was always to his family. He loved and adored Lisa, Russell and Caroline more than life itself.

Mason was also a tireless worker with hundreds of customers all over the country. Even though he could do a majority of his business by phone or email, he logged thousands of miles on the road because he genuinely loved interacting with his clients and cultivating relationships. Despite his debilitating disease, Mason worked until just a few months before his death.

Mason was always an optimist who never saw a hurdle he couldn’t overcome, which makes this incurable disease so cruel. As a Type 1 diabetic, he became a healthy-lifestyle advocate and was a regional team leader for Insulin Independence of Alabama. He was also a benefactor and speaker for Camp Seale Harris, which is a Camp for Type 1 diabetic children.

Mason was a competitive runner and competed in marathons up until his ALS diagnosis. In addition to running, Mason’s favorite diversions were duck hunting, fishing and anything related to Auburn athletics. It gave him great joy that his final Iron Bowl was an Auburn victory.

A funeral service will be held on Friday at 2 p.m. at Mountain Brook Community Church at 3001 US-280 in Birmingham. A visitation will precede the service from 1 p.m.-2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Mountain Brook Community Church, the ALS-Alabama Chapter or Camp Seale Harris.