Mary S. Mason

Mary Serrano Mason passed away peacefully at the UMSMC Hospital in Easton MD on Thursday February 13, 2020. She was surrounded by her family which she loved dearly. She was 84 years old. Mrs. Mason was born in Baltimore City MD on June 6, 1935 to Italian immigrant parents, the late Carmine and Maria Serrano. Mrs. Mason’s childhood was spent in Baltimore City surrounded by her loving family and a quintessential Italian community of that period. As a young girl she enjoyed exploring the city’s libraries, museums and other cultural venues which in part, helped form her early education. In her late-teen years, Mrs. Mason moved to Baltimore County MD in a home built by her father. During this period she managed the office of her father’s construction company while also working for Hutzler’s Department store in downtown Baltimore. Mrs. Mason was a Hutzler’s “sales girl” and learned retail business and a love of her customers directly from Mr. Hutzler. While on a break during one Christmas season at Hutzler’s, a group of Mrs. Mason’s fellow sales girls dared her to sit on Santa’s lap. Never shying away from a challenge, Mrs. Mason sat on Santa’s lap. “Santa” happened to be a young man named Frank E. Mason Jr. who was earning extra money while on break from his studies. A romance was born and the couple were married in Baltimore in 1958. In 1964, Mary Mason and her family moved to her husband’s family home in Easton MD where she would embrace Easton and Talbot County, make it her home, raise a family and embark on a wonderful career. In 1966, Mary converted a residential building on South Harrison St. in Easton and established Mason’s – an Easton landmark and business she would own and operate for 48 years. Under Mary’s indomitable spirit, keen sense of market trends, love of her staff, customers and community – Mason’s thrived over the decades and became a second home to many where lasting memories were formed. Mary was somewhat of a renaissance women in her early business career. She held a weekly local radio hour, “The Mary Mason Show” in the 1970’s through the early 1980’s hosted by George Dietrich where Mary and George would discuss all manner of food, entertaining and life subjects. During this period, Mary also wrote a weekly column in the Star Democrat where she shared gourmet food and entertaining ideas. During her career, Mary found time in the late 1960’s to operate Pier Street Marina in Oxford MD and teach cooking classes at Chesapeake College. Mary’s warm and upbeat nature will be missed by all of those who were fortunate enough to have known her. In addition to her family, one of Mary’s joys in life was working side-by-side with her staff and helping thousands of her customers entertain their families and friends. Many of those customers and staff became her life-long friends. Mrs. Mason is preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband of 50 years, Frank E. Mason Jr. who passed away in June of 2009. She leaves behind a daughter, Dr. Clara Ann Mason and her husband Frank Curnutte of Trappe MD. She also leaves sons Frank E. Mason III of Easton MD, Matthew S. Mason and his wife Kerry of Annapolis MD and three granddaughters whom she cherished, Bonnie, Catherine and Caroline. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Mason is preceded in death by her brother Carmen Serrano. Mrs. Mason was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Easton MD. Memorial services for Mr. and Mrs. Mason will be held on Thursday February 20th at 10:00am at Christ Episcopal Church in Easton MD. Burial will be private. Arrangements will be made by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newman Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the Mason family requests that donations be made to The Spring Hill Cemetery c/o The Mid-Shore Community Foundation 102 East Dover St. Easton, MD 21601.

Mary S. Mason

June 12, 1935 - February 13, 2020