It is with heavy hearts we share that long-time Gunnison County resident, Gene Mason, passed away surrounded by family on the morning of Nov. 3. He was diagnosed in early September with an aggressive and rare stomach cancer. He was 81 years old.
Gene was born in San Diego and grew up in Escondido, a short drive from the iconic Southern California beaches. He loved to surf the breaks at Mission Bay and Swami’s. He started work for a local dairy, but quickly moved to commercial construction. He also worked on the California Feather River State Water Project bringing water into Central and Southern California. Gene received an associates degree from Palomar College in 1963, then studied engineering at San Jose State University.
In the summer of 1964, Gene took a road trip east with a friend, but the car broke down outside of Gunnison. Needing a new transmission and low on funds, he took a “temporary” job working on the Blue Mesa Dam. The beauty of the Gunnison Valley and the mountains surrounding Crested Butte convinced him that this was the place to put down roots. He continued working on all three dams, Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal, in the Aspinall-Wilson water storage project.
On the Morrow and Crystal Dams, Gene performed high scale concrete riveting which required nerves of steel and precise concentration. In the fall of 1964 he enrolled at Western State College, now Western Colorado University. He graduated from Western with a bachelor’s degree, concentrating in mathematics, geology and history. He was one of the early members of the Western State Luftseben Group, which continues to contribute significant annual scholarships to Western students. In 1971, Gene met his beloved wife, Barbara, while riding his horse, Spirit, through an alleyway in Crested Butte. Over the next ten years, they welcomed four sons into the Mason family.
Gene’s lifelong passion was his work. His relationships with subcontractors, vendors and clients went beyond the project build and lasted years. He constructed countless custom homes, commercial buildings, remodels, and many other projects throughout the Gunnison Valley. It would be rare for local residents not to encounter a building touched by Gene’s craftsmanship. He also constructed commercial restaurants in Los Angeles and Spokane, Washington, and took on projects in far-off places, including the Big Island of Hawaii and several high-end treehouses in the rainforests of Costa Rica.
When he wasn’t on the job, Gene could be found enjoying a quiet nap in the sun, participating actively in the Catholic Church, building sets for and acting in local plays, playing shortstop on the local men’s softball team from 1972 to 1980, playing chess with family, officiating races for the Crested Butte junior ski racers, horseback riding, canoeing at Lake Irwin, and camping, fishing, and boating with his grandkids at Blue Mesa. He loved playing poker with his friends, driving a chase truck with his brother in the Baja 1000, cooking his mom’s special spaghetti sauce for family gatherings, and flying his Cessna 182 through the Rocky Mountains.
Gene is survived by his wife and three sons, two daughters-in-law, four grandchildren, his brother, sister and her husband, nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and youngest son.
The Mason family invites the community to an open house celebration of life in honor of Gene on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Queen of All Saints Parish Hall in Crested Butte. We appreciate everyone who has reached out and expressed a desire to help. If you would like to contribute, please bring a heavy hors d’oeuvre, dessert, or drink to add to the refreshments. We would also love for people to bring photos, stories and memories to share.
Tax deductible donations can be made in Gene’s honor to Gunnison Valley Health Foundation, and will be directed to Hospice and Palliative Care or the Gunnison Senior Care Center.
