Mary Marek Mason

Age 93, died peacefully at the Alexandria Hospital with her loving family at her side February 16, 2014. She was a long time resident of Alexandria, having been born in Charlottesville, VA February 11, 1921, and moving to Arlington as a child. She graduated from Washington Lee High School and attended George Washington University.

She had a 30 year career with the Army Defense Agency, beginning with the Office of the Chief Signal Officer in 1953, and retired from the Department of the Army Research and Development Command (DARCOM) as a program analyst in 1983. DARCOM has since become the Army Material Command (AMC). During her time served, she did her part in impacting that proverbial crack in the glass ceiling by ably assisting Program Managers in monitoring the development, progress, scheduling, and costs of key Army weapon systems development programs. She was loved and admired by all who knew her, and will be remembered for her kindness, quiet modesty, and politeness by those peers who worked with her. A truly admirable trait she possessed was perseverance, while keeping a keen sense of humor at the same time. She will be sorely missed.

She is survived by her husband Sidney F. Mason; a daughter Marilyn Marek Smith and son-in-law Kenneth W. Smith; grandchildren Cynthia Smith Waite and Dr. Marcie Marek Smith; and great-grandchildren John Michael Waite and Anna Grace Waite.

Interment services for Mary will be held at the Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, May 28 at 10 am. Friends and family members should be at the Administration Building by 9:30 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to AHA instead. Services are under the direction of the Demaine Funeral Home, Springfield.