Jerald Wilton Mason's Obituary
Jerald Wilton Mason, age 82, of Holladay, Utah passed away peacefully in his home on October 31, 2023. Jerald was born on May 31, 1941 in Bell, California, the first of four children born to Wilton Ira Mason and Esther Evelyn Brown. In 1949, Jerald’s family moved to Redwood country, Ukiah, California, where they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jerald joined the Boy Scouts of America in Ukiah and exclusively through his own hard work and determination became the first Eagle scout there ever. Following graduation from Ukiah High School in 1959, Jerald served a full time mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas from 1960-62. He loved the Texans’ Southern hospitality and said nearly everybody invited you in to sit a spell whether or not they wanted to hear about religion. Never liking being under someone else’s thumb, Jerald said one of the happiest days of his life was the day he became a senior companion. Jerry returned to BYU after his mission. A highlight for him there was leading a commission to hire Avard Fairbanks to sculpt the bronze cougar next to LaVell Edward’s stadium. When the cougar was completed Jerry and his girlfriend got to drive around the stadium in front of everyone to show it off. He graduated in 1965 with a BS in economics and then completed an MBA from Stanford University in 1967. On September 5, 1968, Jerry married Joyce Hurst in the Salt Lake City Temple. The couple began their marriage in Portland, Oregon where Jerry worked for his father’s artificial flower importing business for several years.
In 1976, Jerry decided to change career paths and become a college professor. He completed a PhD in financial planning from the University of Missouri in 1979 and then embarked on a 35 year academic career where he taught at several schools including the State University of New York at Oneonta, BYU, Georgia State University, Texas Tech University, Shippensburg University, the College of St. Rose, and Utah Valley University. Jerry’s professional career also included posts at Proctor and Gamble, Wells Fargo, Hewlett-Packard, the International Association for Financial Planners, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers, and Edelman Financial Services. He said his favorite job ever was teaching life skills to prison inmates in Salt Lake City prior to his marriage. Fundamentally a tender hearted soul he felt most satisfied when he was able to genuinely help another. His wife often referred to him as a “do-gooder.”
At both BYU and Texas Tech, Jerry helped build nationally recognized financial planning programs, during which time he also helped hundreds of students find internships and full time jobs in the financial planning and services profession. In addition, he was instrumental in launching the Association for Financial Planning and Counseling Education and the Accredited Financial Counseling certification program. In 2016, he received the Loren Dunton Memorial Award given to “honor a person who has made a substantial contribution to the financial services profession and/or the financial interest of the public.”
Outside of his professional career, Jerry loved spending time in the outdoors and with his family. Each summer he took each of his six children on their own “adventure”, anything from a trip up the St. Louis arch, a visit to the Biltmore Estate or a hike along the Appalachian Trail. He particularly enjoyed camping and hiking and most family vacations involved both. During retirement he purchased a cabin near Bryce Canyon National Park and thoroughly enjoyed spending time there. He loved the redwood trees from his childhood and became the “Johnny Appleseed” of sequoias because he planted them on his properties from New York to Virginia to Utah. He was also an avid follower of BYU sports and if the football team was struggling the neighbors could see Jerry out pacing the subdivision in his raggedy, bright orange puffer coat that he wore for eons. In later years he especially loved his trips to Europe. Spending time in Bavaria was a particular highlight.
Always known for his frugality, the family’s sole automobile for years was a beat up 1967 Volkswagen van complete with a custom air conditioning system (holes in the floor). A special trip to McDonalds was provided for the children when the electricity bill was below a certain amount. Certain neighbors in Texas were upset when the Mason lawn turned brown in the summer because Jerry did not want to pay for a more expensive water bill in order to keep it green.
Jerry is preceded in death by his parents as well as his sister Bonnie. He is survived by his wife Joyce as well as their six children, Matthew (Bonnie) of Salt Lake City, Amy (Kelly) Ethington of Herndon, Virginia, Belinda Frost of Salt Lake City, Andrew (Laura) of Las Vegas, Nevada, Laurie (Stefan) Kuenzli of Deitingen, Switzerland, and Julie (Charles) Brunner of Manhattan, Kansas, his younger twin brothers, John Mason and James Mason, and eleven grandchildren.
A graveside memorial service will be held for Jerry on November 6, 2023 at 1 pm at the Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East, 4580 South, Millcreek, Utah. In lieu of flowers, a donation in his memory may be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints humanitarian aid fund or the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
With special thanks to Canyon Home Care and Hospice for their attentive care to Jerald during his final illness.
What’s your fondest memory of Jerald?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jerald?
Share a story where Jerald's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jerald you’ll never forget.
How did Jerald make you smile?