San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday)
William “Bill” Mason
William J. Mason “Bill” passed away peacefully on July 15th at UCSF Hospital. He was surrounded in love by his family. Bill was 98 years old.
Bill was born and raised in Iowa until his parents moved to San Francisco in 1942. Bill was a junior in high school at this time. All his life, Bill remained a loyal and proud Iowan. In San Francisco, Bill was proud to be in the first graduating class at Abraham Lincoln High School. Bill was affectionately called “Rocky” at Lincoln, being a scrappy and competitive athlete. Go Mustangs! It was at Lincoln that Bill met the love of his life, Janice Pibernig. They began a love story for the ages. Having pre-enlisted into the service, the day after graduation Bill went to serve in the Navy. He served on a Landing Craft Ship, USS LCS (L) 86 for two years. He became a yeoman and gunner aboard the ship. After the war, Bill returned to his roots in Iowa yet soon came back to San Francisco and his love. Bill and Janice were married December 18th, 1949. They were married for 74 years!!!
Bill was a brilliant and humble man. He graduated with a baccalaureate degree in business administration from Cal Berkeley. Bill was then recalled to active duty during the Korean Conflict and served aboard the USS BOXER (CVA-21). Bill was awarded a Commendation Medal for bravery during the Korean Conflict. After the Korean War, Bill attended San Francisco State University where he earned a General Secondary Teaching Credential and a Master’s degree. He taught high school for two years, then he and Janice headed back to Iowa. Bill attended the University of Iowa where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics. Go Hawkeyes! Again, Bill came back to San Francisco and he became a beloved economics professor at SFSU. Bill’s favorite class to teach was economics for non-majors. Bill was a natural born leader and soon rose to take on numerous roles in the California State University system. He was the vice president of academic affairs at Stanislaus State and also at SFSU. Bill then went on to be the assistant vice Chancellor at the Chancellor’s office of the California State University system. He “retired” from the Chancellor’s office in 1986 and returned to SFSU. Bill then again taught economics part time for 25 more years!
Bill had diverse interests and passions. He was a woodworker, genealogist, archivist, researcher, athlete, coach, and sports enthusiast! He especially loved the Giants! Bill unselfishly gave of himself and served as president of SFSU Alumni
Association, president of the Lincoln Alumni Association, skipper of the National Association of USS LCS(L) 1-130, and was the chair of the LCS 102 Retrieval Committee. Bill was very proud of working with the US Navy and the Royal Thai Navy for over 10 years to retrieve and bring back to the USA the last LCS ship! The LCS(L) 102 is now a National Museum and memorial to those who served so gallantly and bravely aboard the 130 LCS ships. The ship is at Mare Island and can be visited during certain hours of the week.
Bill was an extremely warm, positive, energetic and dynamic person. He had the sweetest disposition and a great sense of humor! With a twinkle in his eyes, playful personality and quick wit, Bill could make anyone smile and laugh! He was a great conversationalist with family and strangers alike and always had a story to tell. Bill lived the values of integrity, hard work, honesty, generosity and loyalty.
Bill is survived by his wife, Janice, and their three children John Mason (Rhonda), Tom Mason (Tammy), and Janine Puls (Daniel). He is also survived by five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Aileen Brasche (Rick), Michael Mason, Katie Wann (Matt) and their children Ryan and Madison, Kirsten Mason and Allison Dubé (Jakob).
Bill was a remarkable man. He was an example of the best of what a human being could be in life. Bill’s true legacy is that he loved extremely well! He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. A memorial service and celebration of life will be held on October 12th at 10:30am at Bill’s home church, West Portal Lutheran in San Francisco.
If desired, donations can be made to the Landing Craft Support Museum in Bill’s honor by going to the web page: https://usslcs102.org/
If making large donations, we encourage you to help avoid online transaction fees by mailing a check directly to:
Landing Craft Support Museum
C/O Bonnie A. Steenbergen, Treasurer
7345 W. Lakeside Dr. Littleton, CO 80125
All donations are tax deductible, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.