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Margaret Ann Mason

Margaret Ann Mason, 79, of Madison, passed away peacefully at Connecticut Hospice on Aug. 22, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on Jan. 18, 1944, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, to the late William and Jeanette Surgenor. She later moved and grew up in Steubenville, Ohio. She was the beloved wife of David H. Mason; they had celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in March. Margaret graduated from Steubenville High School and went on to the Ohio Valley Hospital School of Nursing, where she earned her RN. She worked as a nurse in Steubenville, Oakland, California, and later finished her career at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Ask anyone, and they would say Margaret was selfless and all about family. She was truly the center and guiding light of our beautiful family. Besides her loving husband, she is survived by her daughter Michelle West (John); her daughter Jennifer Johns (John); and her seven “blessings,” as she affectionately called her grandchildren: Tyler, Michael, Christopher and Hailey Johns and Lindsay and Erica, and Brian West. She is also survived by her aunt Polly Esper; her four sisters in Ohio, Sara Larson, Donna LaPrete, Cathy Kepley, and Billie Hibbits; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her brothers, David and Thomas.

Margaret had many passions in her life. One of her favorite pastimes was supporting her family’s variety of activities. One could always find her with Dave on the sidelines of sporting events, recitals, ceremonies, and graduations. She also loved to cook and bake pies, set a beautiful table, and gather around it for holidays. Her meals were always outstanding, and one never left hungry! She always remembered each guest’s favorite food and prepared it with love. She enjoyed many family vacations, including our annual week in New Hampshire at Twin Lake Villa on Little Lake Sunapee and ski trips to Loon Mountain. (She loved snow.) She was competitive in all kinds of board games, card games, and yard games. She passed this love on to her children and grandchildren, so there was never a family gathering without a game. Besides family games, she was an excellent Duplicate Bridge player with over 4,600 masterpoints. She loved reading fiction and always had a couple of books going at a time. Margaret also loved many sports, but in particular, she was a huge UConn women’s basketball fan with season tickets for many years and trips to four Final Four tournaments. She was hoping this would be a championship year! Go Huskies! Football was her other love, and no matter their record, she was a lifetime Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Margaret had a unique ability to nurture friendships of all types: neighborhood, bridge, church, basketball, craft fair, online games, and gym friends, to name a few. Many friends said she set the example for how to be an amazing grandparent. If a friend was in need, she was always ready to provide a meal, send a handwritten note, or just listen. Her service to the church included participation in the altar guild, vestry, and church fair committees.

Margaret’s family would like to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful doctors and nurses at Yale New Haven Hospital, Smilow Cancer Hospital, and Connecticut Hospice, who offered her the most skilled and compassionate care during her courageous battle with cancer. She will be missed dearly by her family and friends as they carry on her legacy.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Margaret’s honor to Connecticut Hospice at www.hospice.com or to the Closer to Free Ride, which we will be riding in honor of Margaret to benefit Smilow Cancer Hospital, at www.rideclosertofree.org/participant/dmason.

A private Celebration of Margaret’s Life will be held at a later date.