Farmington Obituary: Henry Mason, Sr., 93

Henry “Hank” Hall Mason, Sr., 93, of Farmington, passed away peacefully Monday, March 13th, 2017 at Touchpoints in Farmington after a long illness.

Henry was born at home on Main Street in Farmington on December 4, 1923 to Thomas and Flora (Langenberger) Mason. As a young man, he worked with his parents on the family farm and helped with numerous odd jobs around town with his father. He played hockey for Farmington High, and enjoyed sailing and built several boats, sailing on Bantam Lake whenever possible.

Henry graduated from Farmington High School in 1942, joined the Army, and after training in Camp Polk, Louisiana traveled to England with the 148th signal corps of the 8th army “Thundering Herd”. He drove his radio station equipped half-track through France, Holland, Germany and Czechoslovakia, returning home in 1946.

After the war, he returned to Farmington and pursued his interest in photography, training professionally in Hartford, but eventually attended Henry Abbott Tech to study automotive repair. Henry met Esther McKenney from Greenwood, MA and they married on April 28th, 1956. They lived on Diamond Glen while he built their house on Reservoir Road using hemlock trees cut with his own sawmill.

Henry kept busy throughout his life; he was involved in numerous projects at St. James Parish, volunteered with the Farmington Fire Company, was an active member in the American Legion, and after his retirement from Wagner Ford in 1988, began a 23-year run on the board of the Farmington Land Trust. The town recognized his efforts with the land trust by naming the Henry Mason Trail in 2009, located adjacent to the aqueduct.

Henry will be dearly missed by his family and many friends. He leaves two children; Henry “Skip” Mason, Jr.; Thomas “Tom” Mason III and his wife Sonia all of Farmington; three grandchildren; Annemarie Lucas and her husband James, Amelia Mason, and Katrina Mason and one great grandchild Mason Lucas. Henry was predeceased by his wife Esther (McKenney) brothers and sister; Robert Scott Mason, Thomas Mason, and Betsy Keniston. He is survived by his sister Ottilie “Punch” Smith, and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 from 4:00-7:00 pm at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main Street, Unionville. A memorial service to honor Henry’s life will be held on Saturday, March 25th, 2017 at 10:00 am at St. James Parish, 3 Mountain Road, Farmington, with interment immediately following the service at Riverside Cemetery, Garden Street, Farmington, with military honors.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Henry’s name to the Saint James Parish memorial fund, 3 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT 06032, or The Farmington Land Trust, 128 Garden Street, Farmington.