William Neal Mason

He was born to William Hall Mason and Lizzie Smith Mason on February 4, 1927 in Farmville, North Carolina. Bill graduated from Benhaven High School (Olivia, NC) and from East Carolina University. Billie Yow Higgenbotham, his wife of 51 years, predeceased him in 2006. Bill served in the US Navy and in the US Air Force. Following his military service, Bill spent his civilian years in the aerospace and healthcare industries.

The self-proclaimed “mayor of Durham,” Bill’s sense of humor entertained friends at his numerous career postings. A life-long traveler, in his last few years, Bill made trips to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, New Mexico and California. Prior to relocating to an assisted living facility in Raleigh, Bill was an active volunteer with the Durham Red Cross.

He leaves behind two sons, Merrill Mason and wife Cindy (Raleigh) and Albert Mason and wife Alex (Los Angeles), five grandchildren, Ellen, Chandler, Raiden, Ina and Lola, and two siblings, twin sister Mary Mason Warren (Springfield, VA) and Joe Mason (Cincinnati, Ohio) .

The family wishes to thank the staff at Magnolia Glen Assisted Living and also the medical staff at Rex Hospital for their compassionate efforts.

A memorial will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, February 9th at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 St. Mary’s Street, Raleigh. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions made be made to Hospice of Wake County or Durham Red Cross.

Condolences may be sent to www.brownwynneraleigh.com.