Doug Mason's Obituary
Doug Mason, 88, passed away Sunday, July 21, 2019. Born to Fred and Katie Mason on June 12, 1931, in Clearwater, FL, Doug grew up attending Belmont Baptist Church, Clearwater, and always had a love for sports. He graduated from Clearwater High School in 1949 where he earned varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. As part of Coach Bill Justice’s “Bill’s Boys,” Clearwater’s Varsity football team went undefeated in 1947 and 1948, including a state championship, and Doug was a member of the team’s four horsemen.
In 1949, at the age of 17, Doug started playing for Clearwater Bombers and from there his career with the team totaled 18 years, making him the longest serving Bomber in the team’s history. He is still widely considered the finest fielding third baseman in the game of fast pitch softball. Five times Doug earned All-American honors playing in 18 ASA national championships and was a member of six national championship teams and three runners-up teams. He was a first-team selection in 1959, 1963, 1965 and 1972 and a second team choice in 1962. He batted .333 in the 1962 and 1965 nationals and .389 in the 1972 nationals. He compiled quite a host of records and awards as player, coach and manager, and was inducted into the ASA Fast Pitch Hall of Fame in 1978. A highlight of Doug’s softball career was being selected by the U.S. State Department to conduct softball clinics in Southeast Asia and Australia as part of a cultural exchange program in 1965. Doug and 5 other men spent 45 days visiting 6 countries and putting on clinics for the people of Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, the Philippines and New Zealand.
Doug proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corp where he played football and baseball for the Marines. After graduating from the University of Florida, he taught math at Clearwater High School and also served as Dean of Boys. During the 18 years he taught at Clearwater High, he served 12 years as J.V. Football coach and 14 years as head baseball coach. Following his years at Clearwater High, Doug began a long successful career in real estate.
Doug began attending Calvary Baptist Church in 1949 where he served in many different roles, including deacon and member of the finance and building committees. He served as Chairman of the building committee at the time the new worship center was built in downtown Clearwater, and was instrumental in securing the real estate for the new location at McMullen Booth Rd and Drew St. Doug continued his work for the Lord by serving as a trustee and property manager for the Florida Baptist Children’s Home for 37 years. He felt his role with the Children’s Homes was part of God’s plan for his life, and was quoted as saying, “Everything I ever did in life seemed to prepare me for this role. Whether it was my experience working with kids as a teacher and coach or my work in real estate, it all prepared me in some way for my work with the Children’s Homes.”
Doug is preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Katie (Sinclair) Mason and his sister Lavern (Mason) Mussnug. Doug is survived by his loving wife of 66 1/2 years, Shirley; 5 children and their spouses: son, Greg and wife Marybeth; daughter, Penny Reedy and husband Larry; daughter, Elizabeth Snyder and husband Chris; son, Kent and wife Beth; daughter, Nancy Kachurik and husband Mike; 13 grandchildren and their spouses: John (Christine); Tyson (Jessica), Jennifer (Courtney), Savannah (Ryan), Shaun (Darcy), Amanda (Michael), Jack (Jen), Alan (Kim), Kimberly (Casey), Katie (Justin); Abigail, Dean, Lily; 12 great-grandchildren: Peyton, Michaela, Zephyr, Summer, Cade, Chesney, Cora, Parker, Harper, Rosie, Charlie, Delainey; his brother, Jim Mason (Sam); sister-in-law, Carol Bolin (Denny); and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Visitation will be held Sunday, July 28, at 3 pm, Calvary Baptist Church with a funeral service starting at 4 pm and reception immediately following. Military burial will be held at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Monday, July 29 at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Florida Baptist Children’s Home, 1015 Sikes Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33815.
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