Fred L. Mason, Sr., 80, of Tamarac Drive, Smithfield, died Sunday, October 2, 2011. He was the husband of Carol (Cafferty) Mason for 53 years.
Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Chester and Gertrude (Locke) Mason. He lived in East Providence before moving to Smithfield in 1988. He was an East Providence firefighter, and later a salesman for many years, also in East Providence. After retiring, he became a school bus monitor and devoted volunteer, helping others achieve stability in their lives.
Mr. Mason was an Army Veteran of the Korean War. In 1953, he was part of a four nation Honor Guard at Spandau Prison in Berlin. He enjoyed many summers at Roy Carpenter’s Beach with his children, grandchildren, extended family and many friends. Playing golf was a favorite activity when not watching the Red Sox beat the Yankees. Fred retired from golf after winning the 2009 Roy Carpenter’s Beach (“RCB”) Golf Classic Championship.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his sons, Fred L. Mason, Jr., and his wife, Tonia, of Smithfield, and Robert F. Mason and his wife, Heather, of East Greenwich, and five grandchildren: Alyssa, Andrea, Ariana, Hope and Benjamin. He was the brother of the late Chester and Richard Mason.
His funeral service will be held Friday at 9am in the ANDERSON-WINFIELD Funeral Home, Route 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville. Burial will follow in RI Veterans Cemetery. Visitation Thursday 4-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Comprehensive Cancer Center, RI Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, Roy Carpenter’s Beach Association, c/o Tom Pyne, 178 Eastwick Rd., North Kingstown, RI 02852 or Jay Lawrence Foundation, PO Box 580, Greenville, RI 02828.