Lorna Muriel Jacobs Mason

Lorna Mason departed her earthly life on September 6th, 2021, to join her deceased husband, Robert Mason – eternally after a 51-year happy marriage.

Lorna was born in Shanghai, China, in 1925. Her parents were Noel and Dora Jacobs, prominent members of the Shanghai Western community. Her father was Assistant Commissioner for the Baden-Powell Boy Scout Association in China, for which he received many accolades. This influenced Lorna, over the years, working with the Girl Guides and boys in the Scouting program from various countries.

Her education was interrupted while she was preparing for her Oxford Cambridge exams in higher education by the onslaught of the Japanese Invasion of China in World War II. She accompanied her mother and two sisters, Lily and Freda, to California escaping internment camp just before war broke out. She left her father behind, who was eventually interned in a prisoner-of-war camp for five years.

After the war and working for Bank of America in Los Angeles, Lorna and her family returned to Shanghai, where she resumed her vocation of secretary, this time with Shell Oil Company. Soon after, she met her future husband, Robert Mason, from Santa Barbara, California. He had joined Standard Oil Company after his military service in the U.S. Marine Corps.

They were married in 1949 and started their life together in various foreign countries – first China, then Japan, Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia, (Ceylon) Sri Lanka, and India. During those 20 years, three sons were born to them – Gregory James, Ronald Noel, and Glenn Gary in Japan, and later a daughter Linda Gail in England.   Lorna and her family were well-traveled, having made four around-the-world trips and time spent in England.

After 20 years in overseas posts, the time was ripe for Lorna and her family to return to the United States, where the adventure of living in this county began in Lyndon, Vermont.

It was there that she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The seven years spent in Vermont was a welcome change from life overseas. Her husband became an entrepreneur, owning and developing recreational acreage, a resort Motel, a classic New England Inn, and ownership in a Savings and Loan. Lorna was by his side, being the secretary behind the scenes.

Eventually, a move to Salt Lake City, Utah took place. She and her husband were actively engaged in several business adventures that covered apartment ownership, mobile home park development, and an office complex. In the educational field, their entrepreneurship had them owning and operating a Montessori school and a Bryman Medical Assistant school.

Seven years later, hoping for retirement, Lorna moved with her husband to Santa Barbara, California. After another seven years, Reno, Nevada became their home, where Lorna has resided since 1986 with three years of living at Incline Village – a total of 34 years in Reno, Nevada.

Over the years, Lorna has kept busy writing family histories and documenting political changes she encountered during her twenty years of living in foreign countries.

She was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holding several teaching and secretarial positions. Another hobby of Lorna’s was that of knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint. Her many needlepoint accomplishments included large European canvases of the Art Classics. Scores of Afghans were made by her for family, friends as well as humanitarian needs.

Love and patience were her mottos as she was the caregiver for her husband, who was ill for several years prior to his death, and caring for her daughter, Linda. She was proud of all of her family members and wanted them to know how much she loved them.

Lorna leaves behind three sons, Gregory James Mason (Marsha Gablenz) of Reno, Nevada; Ronald Noel Mason (Dawni) of Bountiful, Utah and Glenn Gary Mason (Jennie White) of Wilmington, Vermont; grandchildren Christopher and Emily of Nevada; Denise, Valerie, Christine, and Monica of Utah; Andrew of New Hampshire and Laura of Massachusetts; Jess of New Mexico; great-grandchildren Deaven, Cade, Mason, Ella, and Beck; Charlotte, Jessie and Joey; great-great-grandchild Aurora; and sister Lily O’Brien of England.

Lorna was preceded in death by husband Robert Mason, daughter Linda Mason and sister Freda Hart-Wilden of England.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the LDS Missionary Fund: https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary or plant a tree in her honor: https://www.plantmemorialtree.com