Ms. Cleo Fay Mason

Cleo Fay Mason, first child of the late Newton and Irma Goens, was born on October 7, 1924, and grew up in the brick farmhouse in Long Town, Ohio, on old Rural Route #3, now Stingley Road, in Darke County, Ohio, the first Northern community of former and freed slaves. She had three siblings, the late Mary Frances, Duane and Harold.

She completed her first eight grades in a one-room schoolhouse, located one mile west of the farm. She then attended Palestine High School from 1938 and graduated as class Valedictorian on May 10, 1942.

Cleo worked in the Budget & Fiscal Office of Wright Patterson Air Force Base from September 1942 until August 1952 as typist, accounting clerk, and budget analyst. She attended evening classes during that time at the University of Dayton, taking classes in business and accounting.

In 1952, she married, the late Chauncey M. Mason, a widower with two small girls, Cheryl and Cynthia, and moved to Columbus, Ohio. From this union was born a daughter, Carol, and a son, Chauncey. She was a stay-at-home Mom and a homemaker for the next six years. She joined St. Paul A.M.E Church shortly after moving to Columbus and raised her children to love Jesus, as she had been taught by her parents.

In 1958, Cleo was reemployed by the Federal Government as a clerk-typist and accountant. She was honored at a ceremony in Washington D.C. for her quality accounting abilities. On June 30, 1985, she retired from the position of Deputy Accounting & Finance Officer of the Defense Construction Supply Center (DCSC).

In the mid-1960’s Cleo and Chauncey were divorced, and she became a single parent of her four children. She encouraged their talents and skills, raised them to be successful independent individuals, and sent all of them to college. (Daughter Cynthia (aka Khalidah) died in 2002.)

After retiring, Cleo increased her active church work. She served as Treasurer of the Trustee Board, the championship St. Paul AME bowling league, and The Unity Circle, a women’s church organization. She remained a lifelong student of the Bible and was a Sunday School Teacher at St. Paul A.M.E. She prepared the Church accounting reports, maintained the financial records for a carpet company, and also prepared tax reports for individuals.

Cleo’s hobbies were reading, bowling, traveling, and babysitting four of her nine grandchildren. She really enjoyed traveling and spent a week in Bermuda one summer and traveled by train across Canada from Toronto to Victoria in 1989.

On Thursday, September 28, 2023, nine days short of her 99th birthday, Cleo transitioned from this Earth to Heaven, where she now lives in the joy of the Lord. She leaves to cherish her life, her three remaining children, Cheryl Mason-Dorman (Alfred), Carol Mason-Loubon, and Chauncey M. Mason (Daphine); nine grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Cleo’s funeral service will be handled by Marlan Gary Funeral Home and will be held on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at St. Paul A.M.E Church, 639 East Long Street, Columbus. The viewing will be at 10:00 AM with the funeral 11:00 AM.

Internment will take place on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 2:00 PM, in Greenlawn Cemetery.