Alex "Joe" Joseph Mason, Jr.

Alex "Joe" Joseph Mason of Caro, 74, passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, December 15, 2022, surrounded by family and his wife, Linda, of fifty-one years. Joe was born on October 25, 1948, in Mercer County, West Virginia, and then moved to Flint during grade school. It was there he met some of his lifelong best friends, Tim Hernandez, and Gene & Kathy Bailey. Joe graduated from Flint Northwestern High School in 1966 and spent summers in West Virginia, visiting with family and his lifetime friend, Pinky. Over the years, there would be many more trips with family and friends to West Virginia. After high school, Joe's future would be greatly impacted by two life altering events. First, when Joe met the love of his life, Linda Lewis, at an open house the same day he graduated from high school. Second, when he was drafted into the Army, serving in the Infantry from 1969-1971. While in Vietnam, he was severely wounded and awarded two Purple Hearts and the Military Merit Medal. Joe rarely talked about his service but did share that while recovering from his injuries at Walter Reed, he prayed to God that if he survived, he would spend his life helping those in need. Little did anyone know how that pact would affect his life and the lives of so many more individuals. In 1971, he returned to the Flint area and married Linda. That same week their best friends Tim and Chris were married as well, and along with their solid group of Davison friends, would remain best friends for life. Linda and Joe started their family while he attended Central Michigan University. He earned a BA in 1974, and a master's degree in 1976. Joe taught Industrial Arts for 35 years at Vassar High School. "Mr. Mason" was a force to be reckoned with in the shop and went above and beyond in and out of the classroom. He built the woodworking program from the ground up, and created an Industrial Arts program where students excelled. Joe's awards for excellence in projects and teaching are too many to count. In addition to inspiring his shop kids, he coached basketball and softball for many years. In 1975, Joe put his woodworking skills to good use and built the house his family would live in for the remainder of his life. He later added a woodshop in the backyard where many projects were completed with family members. During summer breaks, Joe enjoyed building decks in his spare time. One of his lasting woodworking legacies is the Cabin in Central Lake that Joe, Linda, Don, and the entire family worked on for years to make it into a beautiful retreat. The Cabin Boys made a lot of memories working on the cabin! The only thing Joe was not good at was… relaxing. Even on vacation, he always had a project going. One of our favorites is the Yoda bench at the American Legion cabin at Higgins Lake. Another one of Joe's loves, besides family and friends, was his ‘55 Chevy Bel Air which was made into a hot rod by Detroit Muscle. He loved driving Linda around the Thumb, but only if there was zero chance of rain. Joe loved his family fiercely and would do anything for them. His daughters, Jenny and Jill, were his number one priority while they were growing up, and as grown-ups. They spent many hours of their formative years with their dad. Their favorite activities included going to the hardware store, eating at truck stops, and working in the shop while listening to country music. He made sure Linda had flowers for birthdays and every Mother's Day. Joe adored and spoiled his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He would attend every event possible, helped coach Megan's softball team, helped Ryan with tires and projects, worked with Matt on his basketball and rototilling skills, bought Ean many instruments, and attended every play, dance recital, and game of Corrin's. Joe was a real-life hero who never wanted any recognition. He was the epitome of strength and grit. You would never hear him complain or make excuses. He was an inspiration to everyone he met and had an impact on their lives more than he will ever know. Joe is survived by his wife, Linda; his daughters, Jenny (Mike) Greer and Jill (Clay) Cook; his grandchildren, Ryan, Megan, Matt (Katie), and Ean Greer, and Corrin Cook; great-grandchildren, Mila, Kennedy, Charlotte, and Griffin Greer; his sister, Nadine Love; and nieces and nephews, Jason, Jamie, Jonathan, Chad, and Kim. A memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at the Ransford Collon Funeral Home in Caro. Joes family will be present to receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contributions to the Travis Mills Foundation. You can visit their website https://travismillsfoundation.org/ or send mail to 747 Western Ave - Suite 1 - Manchester, ME 04351. Visitation Information Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm End Time: 2:00 pm Ransford Collon Funeral Home Address: 989-673-2175 | Map Alex's family will be present to receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m. Service Information Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022 Time: 2:00 pm Ransford Collon Funeral Home Address: 989-673-2175 | Map A memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at the Ransford Collon Funeral Home in Caro.