Joseph Mason

Joseph Sidney Mason, former Baptist minister and part time banquet/conference entertainer, died on February 3, 2021. Joe Mason was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, July 13, 1935 to parents, Roy and Aristo Mason and had a deep love for many friends in his home state. He graduated from Georgetown College in Kentucky and was quite involved in basketball and track. He felt led into the ministry and served a short stint in the Army Reserves at Fort Knox. He later graduated from Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. His first ministerial responsibility was as Youth Director at Highland Baptist in Louisville. Following this, he served as Youth and Recreation minister at Maplewood Baptist Church in St. Louis, First Baptist of Atlanta, First Baptist of Nashville, TN, and completed his service at First Baptist Church of Decatur, GA after 21 years as Associate Pastor with senior adults. He traveled the country leading and speaking at youth and recreation conferences. Also, he spent many years speaking and entertaining traveling extensively in the southeast and throughout Georgia. His main area of expertise was humor, using the piano and his ukulele as his “props,” believing that laughter is the best medicine. One of Mason’s sidelines was writing, something he dearly loved. He wrote a column for the Dekalb County News Era in Decatur, GA for almost 20 years and then during retirement, did the same for the White County News in Cleveland, GA. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Mason; children, Scott Mason, Nashville, TN, Lisa Gary and husband Hayes Gary, N. Augusta, SC; step-son, Steve Campbell and wife Donna, Xenia, OH; additional survivors include grandchildren, Aaron Mason and Brittney Ochs. Memorial services are scheduled for 2:00 PM Saturday, April 10, 2021 at The Chapel of Barrett Funeral Home. Dr. Bill Coates will officiate. The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 2:00 PM Saturday, April 10, 2021 at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Family Life Center of First Baptist Church of Gainesville, 751 Green St. NW Gainesville, GA 30501. To share a memory or to leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.barrettfh.com Barrett Funeral Home of Cleveland, 706-865-3101.