William C. (Bill) Mason went to his heavenly home Tuesday, March 21 st , 2023 surrounded by his loving

wife and daughters after a short battle with cancer. Bill was born on June 30, 1933, in Asheville, NC to

Thelma and Donald Mason. He grew up in Canton, NC and graduated from Canton (now Pisgah) High

School. Bill joined the United States Navy and proudly served from 1952 to 1956. It was while serving at

Whiting Field in Milton, Florida that he met the love of his life Marie Gauger. They were married in 1958

and relocated to Raleigh, NC where he attended NC State University graduating in 1960. He was a

manufacturing engineer for both Yale (later Scovill) and Scott Aviation in Union County.

Bill lived a life of service to his town, church and to the world at large. He was a member of the Monroe

Jaycees holding many offices including State Vice President and Director. He was a long-time active

member of the Wingate Lions Club also serving in various offices and as a champion for the blind in the

community. He was a member of the advisory board of Forest Hills High School and was a Town

Commissioner for the Town of Wingate. But he would say his most significant and most proud

achievements and experiences were managing and hosting church teams traveling to Bucha, Ukraine.

He tirelessly raised money and physically worked for over 10 years and made over 19 trips including

many complete summer stints, to help renovate a former communist youth camp into a home for street

children, foster families and to provide meeting spaces for Christians in a country that under Russian

rule attempted to eliminate Christianity.

Bill enjoyed golf and was a founding member of Eagle Chase Golf Club. He and Marie enjoyed the beach

with friends and family and traveling to over 20 countries and many states in the US. He loved airplanes

and most recently was a Docent once a week sharing his love for airplanes with children and adults at

the Carolinas Aviation Museum (soon to be the Sullenberger Aviation Museum) at Charlotte Douglas

International Airport.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Shirley Wright and Lynn Sherlin, and granddaughter

Emily Williams. He is survived to cherish his memory by his wife of almost 65 years Marie, daughters

Shirley Williams (Alan), Brenda Grubb (Jimmy), grandchildren Matt (Megan) Williams, Kelly (Rich)

Peterson, Josh Williams and great-grandchildren Layla Williams, Annabelle Williams, Graham Williams,

and Emilia Peterson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the Sullenberger Aviation

Museum online at https://www.sullenbergeraviation.org/donate/, to the missionary efforts for Ukraine

through Mina and Gennady Podgaiskaya at bit.ly/podgaisky or by check to Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship, P.O. Box 102972, Atlanta, GA 30368-2972 * Include "PF Gennady and Mina Podgaisky" on

the memo line or in support for the work of Anatoly Kushnirchuk, Chaplain of the Ukrainian Army and

Evangelist, Worldwide Proclamation https://give.ministrylinq.com/App/Form/169cf8d1-297e-4b82-

b2a5-4dc2d744553d Mention "Evangelist Anatoly Kurshnirchuk" in your online donation or you can find

the mailing address on the Worldwide Proclamation website.

Service Information:

Visitation: Saturday, March 25th 2023 - 01:00 PM to 01:45 PM - Wingate Baptist Church - 109 E Elm Street, Wingate , NC 28174

Service: Saturday, March 25th 2023 - 02:00 PM - Wingate Baptist Church - 109 E Elm Street, Wingate , NC 28174

Committal service with Military Honors will follow at Wingate Town Cemetery.