Margaret M. Mason

Margaret Mary Mason, 88, of Fort Collins died December 4, 2024, after facing the challenges of dementia with courage, grace and even humor. Born February 22, 1936 in Hancock, Michigan, she grew up in nearby Houghton. Margaret graduated from Houghton High School and was employed by Houghton National Bank. She met Lawrence “Larry” Mason when he was a student at Michigan College of Mining and Technology in Houghton and married soon after on June 9, 1956 . After Larry graduated, the couple moved to Columbus Ohio where they lived for 7 years and where their children, Elizabeth and Doug, were born. In 1964, the family moved to Webster, New York where Larry worked for 23 years at Xerox. After retirement, Margaret and Larry moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to be near their son, Doug. Within another year, their daughter Elizabeth and her family moved to Fort Collins as well. Margaret’s priorities in life were her family, her faith, and volunteer work. She was always quick to perceive the needs of others and offer solutions to cover these needs, both for her family and friends. She was a full time homemaker for many years, devoting all her time and energy to building and nurturing her family with love. At the time, many other young families were in the neighborhood, where both she and her family built a strong foundation of friends for life. Margaret was very involved in church activities throughout her life, including a brief time working as part-time secretary for her church in Webster once her children were grown. She sang in the church choir in Fort Collins (St Joseph Catholic Church), volunteered to count the weekly collection, cooked and baked for funeral dinners, and regularly visited the homebound, including taking Holy Communion to them weekly. She attended daily Mass for years, often walking the 2 miles to church and back so she could exercise both her body and her spirit. She played cards with a group of ladies at church every week for years. She kept busy with her many friends with whom she would pray, work and play. Margaret had many interests, including music, reading, and spending time outdoors. She loved to visit parks and take hikes and picnics with her family throughout her life. She and Larry pulled a camper trailer to many National Parks, traversing the southwest, the Rockies and even western Canada and Alaska. Musical talents included playing the tenor saxophone, guitar, and piano in addition to singing. She enjoyed playing with a community band in Webster whose repertoire included a lot of John Philip Sousa marches. She also loved to attend local CSU organ recitals, and concerts at the Central City Opera. Margaret was a volunteer at Poudre Valley Hospital for 24 years where she enjoyed guiding visitors and patients to their destinations. She also sat with dying patients under the No One Dies Alone program. Margaret was a kind, good, and loving soul, someone who would only remark on the good she saw in others, magnifying the good around her. She liked to practice random acts of kindness, such as paying for a meal for a stranger in a restaurant. She had a generous spirit. Passing away before Margaret were her parents, Bernard and Mary (Fournier) Mathy, and her siblings, Charles, Marie, and Joseph Mathy. Her surviving family includes her beloved husband, Larry, her children Elizabeth (Gilbert) Sanchez and Doug Mason, her grandson David (Chrissy) Sanchez and great-grandchildren Max and Lily Sanchez. Also, her sister-in-law Barbara (Merle) Plagge, her niece Mary (Matt) Galer, nephews Peter Plagge (Erin Mooney) and Tim (Anita) Plagge and great nieces and nephews. A Rosary service will be held at 4:00 pm Monday, Dec. 9th at Goes Funeral Care. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 pm Tuesday, Dec. 10th at St. Joseph Catholic Parish. A reception will follow the Mass in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family kindly requests donations to Pathways Hospice. A livestream of Margaret's Mass of Christian Burial can be watched on the St. Joseph YouTube Channel found here: St. Joseph Livestream