Viola Louise Mason

Viola L. Mason died Monday, March 19, 2007 in Gulfport. She was born August 17, 1922 in Mechlanburg County, VA - the fourth child of Henry Thomas and Mary Harding Mason. She grew up on the family cotton/tobacco farm which also had a popular lake for swimming where Ola frequently acted as a life-guard. After attending Strayer College in Washington, D.C., Ola was employed by the Navy Department and served as supervisor of purchasing. When she retired in 1974, she built a home on acreage in Saucier where she enjoyed gardening, fishing in her lake and spoiling her dogs. She was a past president of Gulfport Civic League, served on the board of Center Stage and was an active member of Bayou View Baptist Church. Miss Mason was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Henry Thomas Mason of Detroit and a nephew Noel Thomas Bacon of Key West. She is survived by her sister, Ada Bacon of Gulfport and Mary Agnes Price of Madison, VA; five nieces and nephews, Barbara Rosetti of Gulfport, Camille Price of Charlottesville, VA, Bill Price of Madison, VA, Sharon Mason and Linda Lozon, both of Detroit, MI. She was Godmother to Johnny Majure of Gulfport. The funeral service will be Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. at Bayou View Baptist Church, Gulfport. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Bayou View Baptist Church Building Fund, 4709 Chamberlain Ave., Gulfport, MS 39507 or to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 638, Gulfport, MS 39502. Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, O'Neal Road, Gulfport is in charge of arrangements. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com