Toni Jo Mason, Ph.D.

Toni Jo Mason, Ph.D., 74, passed away on Wednesday, April 17th after an extended illness.

Always a teacher, Toni leaves those that knew her an enduring lesson—to be an effective teacher in our rapidly changing world; we must ourselves be lifelong learners. After college graduation in 1960, Toni started her professional teaching career at her home town high school in Moundsville, West Virginia. Never one to avoid new challenges, Toni left classroom teaching in 1963 and over the next 9 years, served as the Director of Career Education for Regional Education Service Area (RESA) 8 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and was subsequently promoted to the position of Director of Psychological Serves and Director of Gifted Programs for RESA 8. In addition to her professional responsibilities during this period, Toni received a Masters Degree in Guidance and Psychology in 1964 from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

And in1972, she was awarded an Education Specialist Degree in Counselor Education and Psychology from the University of North Carolina. Between 1972 and 1975, Toni was responsible for the development, the field testing, the demonstration and the infusion of a career education program into existing curricula of the eight county consortium served by RESA 8. The model developed was through a federal grant and after validation, the model was adopted by ten states. Her curriculum design subsequently became a part of the National Depository for Curriculum at North Carolina State College and was the basis for Toni's receipt of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Colorado.

In 1977, Toni was invited to join the U.S. Office of Education-Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

In her new position, Toni functioned as Compliance Officer, a Child Complaint Officer, and a State Plans Officer. In addition, she chaired numerous competitive grant panels related to gifted education, early childhood professional preparation and programs for the deaf and blind. Prior to the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Toni was responsible for verifying federal statues on the state level including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As Toni has described to her friends, her most memorable and intense assignment was chairing the first on-site compliance visit between the U.S. Office of Special Education and officials from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Department of Education. After a great deal of thought regarding the possibility of language interpretations, Toni decided to change her presentation which essentially was scheduled as a review of the Compliance Manual chapter by chapter. Instead, she came to the podium and firmly informed the group in uncomplicated English, what the regulations required and how they could use these regulations to better serve Puerto Rican people with disabilities. After her presentation there were many questions and in the end, a general consensus of a very successful meeting.

At the urging of several friends and her continuing desire to learn, Toni took a leave of absence from her federal position and entered Florida State University's College of Education Doctoral Program in Educational Administration.

As demonstrated throughout her professional career, Toni began the program with enthusiasm, focus and hard work. As such, she was able to complete the program with her doctoral degree conferred in December of 1982. In 1983, the allure of Tallahassee and the encouragement of her friends at Florida State University, Toni returned to Tallahassee. She initially served as a Program Consultant for the Florida Department of Education and subsequently as the Coordinator of Diagnostic Services, for the Leon County Schools until her semi-retirement in 1990. It was during Toni's tenure with the Leon County School System that she brought about an initiative her PhD. Professor described as "Your greatest accomplishment and one that you will never be known for." The initiative Toni instituted in Leon County Schools was quite simple; like many amazing insights we, in retrospect, wonder how this or that could have been overlooked for so long.

"We must make the play grounds at our Leon County Schools handicap accessible and compliant with all ADA requirements," she said at a planning meeting. The Leon County School System immediately recognized the validity of Toni's observation and within a short time the construction of handicap access began. Similar accommodations have since been implemented across the Nation.

Toni is survived by her niece, Erica Mason; a great niece, Ashley Krahenbill; and a host of friends who miss her dearly.

Toni was preceded in death by her parents, Hugh Bennett Mason and Ester Nell Mason; her brother, John Hugh Mason; and, a nephew, Robert Bennett Mason.

A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 pm, Thursday, April 25th, 2013 at the United Church of Tallahassee, 1834 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Family will receive friends from 6:30 pm until the service hour.

In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged and may be sent to the United Church of Tallahassee; the congregation and Pastor that so graciously opened their doors and their hearts to Toni and her CNA Mya.