Obituary of Stanley R Mason

Mason, Stanley R., 89 of Watertown, formerly of Mound, passed away peacefully on Thursday December 15, 2022 at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia.

Stanley was preceded in death by his parents Aloysius and Marcella (Lallak) Mason, wife Joanne, and brother Art. He is survived by his son Bradley (Estelle), daughter Pamela (Trent) Manteuffel, and grandchildren: Alyssa, Logan, Mason, and Madeline.

Stanley was born October 25, 1933 and spent his childhood years in North Minneapolis. He met his wife of 62 years, Joanne, while cruising in a Buick Roadmaster on Hennepin Ave. Shortly after, Stanley enlisted in the Army in the mid 1950’s. He was stationed in Germany and spent time touring other parts of Europe during his leave.

Upon his return from the Army, he married Joanne and opened his own Mileage gas station in Excelsior, where he quickly became known around town as Stan the Mileage Man. It was not long before he realized that bookkeeping was not his forte. He closed the station and turned to driving trucks. He started by driving dump trucks locally before expanding his horizons to the long-haul trucking industry, where he worked until his retirement. His years on the road had him hauling everything from boats to Tonka Toys to Musicland records. By the end of his career, he could proudly claim he had visited all 50 states!

He loved to tinker in the garage and was well known for his ability to fix almost anything. He spent many autumns deer, duck, and elk hunting and loved to snowmobile in the winter.

Upon his retirement, Stanley still did not give up his love of driving. He and Joanne toured North America in their motorhome and they wintered in Arizona. They had many friends who shared their love of RVing and often accompanied them on their trips. When they were not in the RV, he and Joanne loved to spend time at the family cabin near Park Rapids – which often included their group of friends bringing their own RVs to the cabin too! It was on these cabin weekends that Stanley loved to play the role of storyteller. His loud deep radio voice and laugh will be truly missed around future campfires. 

A Mass of Christian Burial is planned for Saturday, June 3^rd at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mound. Visitation will start at 10:00 a.m. with a Catholic Mass at 11:00 a.m. A Celebration of Life will be held immediately following the Mass at the American Legion in Mound, located at 2333 Wilshire Blvd. Internment will be held on a later date. His ashes will be interned to St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Shakopee.