Chamber veteran Kel Mason dies
July 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Births/Deaths, Business, Chamber of Commerce, Community, The Latest
Kelvin C. Mason
Kelvin C. Mason, former Arcadia Chamber of Commerce President in 1974 and Executive Director from 1980 until 1992, has died.
According to current Chamber executive director Beth Costanza, Kel, 82, passed away last week of complications from an accident on his boat while on vacation in Oregon. He died while being flown to a hospital in Southern California to be closer to home.
Services will be at Zook Mortuary in Monrovia, 600 E. Foothill Blvd. (358-1157 or 358-3244). Viewing will be Friday, July 31st from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, August 1st.
Feel free to join others in leaving comments below about your memories of Kel.
Joan Cline, a spokesperson for the Women’s Division of the Chamber, wrote a letter in the 1980s nominating Mason for Humanitarian of the Year. According to that letter, Mason was born in Nova Scotia and moved to the U.S. in 1957. He became an American citizen the same year he moved to Arcadia in 1962.
At the time of the writing of the nomination letter, he and his wife Peggy had two children, Cindi and Victor.
After 33 years in the mortuary business, Mason retired in from Utter McKinley Mortuary before becoming executive vp of the Chamber in 1980.
“Kel,” as he was known, had also been President of the West Arcadia Business and Professional Association and the Arcadia Kiwanis Club.
He was a District for the Luncky Baldwin District of the Boy Scouts of America, was coordinator of the Diamond Jubilee parade, and chairman of the West Arcadia Band Review and YMCA fund-raising campaign.
He was a recipient of the Arcadia Citizen of the Year, Kiwanian of the Year, and YMCA for Sevrice to Youth Awards.
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I knew Kel very well and am truly saddened to hear of his passing.
He was a great guy and did an outstanding job as chamber exec.
He and Peggy lived up near Arrowhead since he left the Executive Director position.
I have known Kel & Peggy for approximately 25 years. It was very sad to hear of his passing. He helped to put the Chamber on the road to financial stability while he was the Chamber Exec. We will miss his smiling face!
Kel and I met nearly 40 years ago, and this news makes me so very sad. I think of Kel and my friends from the Chamber often and miss being with them. Kel was always one with a most positive attitude, and seemed to have an inexhaustible energy about him. He was a mentor, a friend, a true gentleman, and just a quality individual with a great sense of humor, who still makes me smile whenever a thought of him crosses my mind. My love to Peggy and the extended family at this most difficult time.
Kel’s mentoring, problem solving and goodness was the foundation in good management providing the success of Arcadia’s Chamber. Kel and Peggy never forgot us after he retired at 65. I found, during my Presidency, I had a go to person to help us solve problems. Our hearts and prayers are with Peggy, Cindy and Victor at this time.
Kel was so much fun. He visited us at the chamber over the years and always left us laughing. I will miss an old friend and the chamber loses a treasured ikon.