Jackie Wilmer Mason

Jack Wilmer "Hackie" Mason, 79, of Topeka, passed away Thursday, November 26, 2020.

He was born July 20, 1941, in Midland, Michigan, the son of Milton Jasper and Mary Genevieve Mason. As a youth, Jack enjoyed Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Life Scout. He spent his free time fishing and working.

Jack graduated from William Winlock Miller High School in Olympia, Washington in 1959. Before the Navy he spent one semester in college and ran out of money. In the Navy he served on the USS Hornet. Upon leaving the Navy Jack and his buddy Les Horner returned to Les's family home in Hutchinson, Kansas, where he worked for Cessna. He met Amber DeMoss and they were married on May 27, 1967 in Hutchinson, Kansas.

In 1968, Jack and Amber moved to Topeka, Jack having joined the Air National Guard in 1967. He served in the 190th ARW for 31 years, including during the Vietnam War and both Desert Shield and Desert Storm, retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant.

Jack was employed by the State of Kansas as a civil engineer for five years and later worked for Raytheon until his retirement.

Jack was a member of the 190th Pistol Team, the 190th Bowling Team and he enjoyed dart leagues in Topeka in his free time. He enjoyed bird watching and was a member of the Audubon Society.

Jack is survived by his wife of 53 years, Amber; children Jodi Cedarquist (Brad) of Wabaunsee County, Kansas and her children Mason and Joseph; and Jack Mason (Kim) of Topeka and their daughter Haley; Karen Walker (Cliff) of Tyler, Texas, and her children Jeffrey and James; and siblings Mary, Scott, and Detlev Mason. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Jack enjoyed bowling, playing darts and going to auctions and antique car shows with his wife to show his 1966 Dodge Dart. He was an AVID K-STATE FAN.

Jack was cremated. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Museum of the Kansas National Guard, 6700 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, KS 66619.

MEMORIES FROM HIS SIBLINGS:

Mary (aka, "Marty" and "Marlene"): "I don't remember Jack playing any sports. He graduated from High School in 1959. I think he was on the USS Hornet and an aircraft carrier that is now retired and on display in Alameda, California. He was a communications guy. I don't know the formal name for that…and they flew over Vietnam dropping supplies long before Vietnam was a place of horror. When he was in high school he had a 1930's coupe, Chevy I believe, had a rumble seat. This pride and joy of his was painted bubblegum pink! God, Milton hated that car! Didn't want it parked in the driveway! What would the neighbors say?

"Jack worked for Longmire Farms in high school…big farm conglomerate in Lacey, Washington. He set bowling pins at the bowling alley in Chehalis, Washington during seventh and eighth grade…we always worked…started picking strawberries at a commercial farm when we were ten.

"My parents were married in July 1940. Jack was born a year later…I was born almost 15 months after Jack. Within a year of my birth, my mother left us both with my aunt and grandmother to babysit. My mother neglected to come back and pick us up. For the next five years or so, Jack and I lived with different relatives - my grandmother Springett (Milton's mother and stepdad), Milton's aunt Vern and Uncle Clause…that's where all the farm pictures were taken. No one ever abused us and we were well cared for. While we were with aunt and uncle on the farm, Jack started school at a one-room schoolhouse…this was in Michigan…I pitched such a fit that Jack had to take me to school with him! This schoolhouse still had the central wood burning stove and the bucket of water in the back with a communal dipper to drink from. My father was incapable of caring for us and our mother didn't want us.

"As one of the conditions of the divorce, my dad had to join the army and, as the war was over, he was sent to the American sector of Berlin, in the CID. So, Jack and I stayed with different relatives, etc. My father's sister and her husband wanted to adopt us, but Milton said no. When Milton brought Dorothea home, they married at my grandmother's house but you won't see Jack in any of the wedding pictures…he was not a happy camper. Milton and Dorothea moved to Illinois and then to Washington…without Jack and I because Dorothea wasn't interested in having us around either…we then made the big trip to Washington on a passenger train (in about 1948) by ourselves…this was when trains had stewardesses…anyway, by ourselves…maybe six and seven years old…from Chicago to Portland, Oregon.

"These stories all happened in Chehalis, in the big yellow house on Ninth Street…the house with no central heat, where we all huddled around the kitchen oven to get dressed for school. Once, when Jack was just in elementary school, we had homemade grape juice for breakfast. It had turned and was quite potent…no one likes this juice…except jack. He went to school very, very happy that day…

"Jack, Det, and I would get up very early to walk down to the edge of town to go fishing for an hour or two, and then to school. We attended the Presbyterian Church in Chehalis…Jack loved the monthly potluck dinners! Food, food and more food! Don't get between Jack and his food.

"Saturdays were the double feature at the downtown theater…two movies plus about twenty cartoons! One Saturday, Jack swallowed a nickel. Why he had a nickel in his mouth, who knows? Had to go to the doctor and missed the movies!"

Scott: "In high school he would go mushroom hunting with his best friend Jim Mead who ended up a Ph.D. scientist with the Smithsonian. He created a space in the attic for study. He went steelhead fishing in the fall in the coldest, nasty wet weather. I won a Conestoga wagon kit once and he put it together for me, way too complicated for a six or seven year old. Got to admit he was by far the least interested in having a baby brother around."

Detlev: "I really don't remember any outstanding things that happened. I do remember that one time as kids we still needed a babysitter. We got into a pillow fight that went all over our house. When our parents got home our babysitter told our parents she would never sit us again. We really got along with no real problems."

Family anticipates returning Jack to one of his favorite fishing holes in Minnesota this spring or summer.
Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southwest Chapel is assisting the family.

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