John William "Bill" Mason was born October 28, 1939 in Douglas, Arizona to Louis Vernon and Essie Mae Mason at the robust weight of 4 lbs. His brother, Don, was 10 years his senior. He attended Douglas schools, graduating from Douglas High School in 1957. During his youth, he was active in Boy Scouts. Through hard work and dedication, he became an Eagle Scout, which was one of his proudest achievements. He went on to attend the University of Arizona where he was in the Air Force ROTC and then the Air Force reserves until his honorable discharge in 1965. In the spring of 1959, Bill's dad had seven heart attacks in two days and Bill quit school to run Southern Arizona Auto Company. In August 1962, at the age of 22, he became "Dealer Principal" for all of the General Motors divisions. At that time, he was the youngest dealer principal that General Motors ever had. Bill met Delline Bohmfalk, in 1960, when she was working for the Ford dealer across the street, Bledsoe Mauzy Motors. Their first date was at the drive-in theater for the thriller, Psycho. They married June 30, 1962 and have resided in Douglas ever since. Over the years he enjoyed traveling, camping, hunting, and fishing. Bill and Delline have three children, Dusty (Maritza), Randy (Erin), and Darcy (Mike) and six beautiful grandchildren, Dustin; Travis, Tyler, and Delainey; Hayden and Mia, whom he adored. Bill was very dedicated, and giving back to his community was always a priority. He was an active member of the Douglas Rotary Club until his retirement, serving as president from 1970-1971. He served six two-year terms on the Douglas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was a member of Demolay and received the "Order of Chevalier", its highest award. He was a lifetime member of the Douglas Elks Lodge #955. He was a lifetime member of Mt. Moriah #19 Masonic Lodge. He was a charter member of Sabbar Shrine Temple and president of the Cochise County Shrine Club from 1970-1971. He served several 2-year terms on the Douglas Golf & Social Club Board of Directors. He chaired several fundraising drives over the years for the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and Boy Scouts. He supported the Douglas Association for Retarded Citizens, both personally and through his business. At the City, he served a three year term on the Douglas Municipal Property Corporation. Bill's most meaningful and important civic achievement was the 21 years he served as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board in our community. He was chairman for eight years and at one point during his tenure, the board successfully procured the old Mormon Church on 13th street, and renovated it for the Salvation Army's headquarters. More than that was the chance to help and watch the different Salvation Army officers as they worked and served the less fortunate. Bill believed that the Salvation Army is one of the better organizations that is truly dedicated and does an excellent job in caring for the needy and destitute. Not only was Bill involved in the community, but he was also very active both in and through his work. In 1948, Southern Arizona Auto Company began supporting driver's education at Douglas High School. They loaned them cars, as many as four per year, plus supplied visual aids and Bill even taught classes. He participated in and served on the Zone Dealer Councils for Chevrolet (3 times), Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, GMC, and Cadillac. Under his direction, Southern Arizona Auto Company received numerous awards and much recognition. The highlight of his reputation, as an ethical dealer, was his nomination for the Time Quality Dealer Award. He was nominated by a fellow dealer, who was a past recipient, and was the unanimous choice by his peers at the Arizona Auto Dealers Association, to receive the award. It was meaningful to him because it was the culmination of his life's work. It showed his family why he worked 60-70 hours a week in his early days. He said it really belonged to his family who may not have understood at the time, but hopefully did now. He tied this back to his Eagle Scout achievement as he felt it laid the foundation for his determination to succeed in business. Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend. He will be missed. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2015 at the Brown Page Mortuary Chapel. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the First Baptist Church, 700 E. 10th Street, Douglas, AZ.