Hubert Reese Mason III

Hubert Reese Mason III

1963-2021

Hubert Reese Mason III was born on June 9, 1963 in Hannibal, MO to Joan Lucinda Lair Mason and Hubert Reese Mason II. He was the baby of the family with two sisters, Shelley and Tammy Mason. He was so cute and we all had so much fun playing together and as normal kids we fought some too. His nickname was Hub, but when we were little we called him Hub Cap or Hubby Bubby. He attended Jefferson School from kindergarten through 6th grade, then it was on to Junior High for 7th and 8th grade. He then moved on to Quincy Senior High I for 9th and 10th and then Quincy Senior High II for 11th and 12th and graduated in 1981. Hub was smart, funny, and had the gift of gab. He loved to read all different types of books and was always liked by everyone. He moved to Yellowstone National Park and worked at Old Faithful Inn as a Chef and during the time when it was closed for the season he worked in Park City Utah as a Chef. He followed in my grandparents footsteps because Grandma and Grandpa Lair worked in Yellowstone National Park as teens and twenties then after they retired. Hub moved back to Quincy, IL and went to Vatterrott College in Quincy and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Automotive Mechanics. He then started working for McNay repairing 18 Wheelers.

Some years later he moved to Nashville, TN and worked at various jobs including running a few half way houses for recovering alcoholics. His last years of employment were with U.S. Pest. He really loved working at U.S. Pest and the people he worked with and for. He truly loved the interaction with customers and their families, kids and dogs and they all loved him. He met many interesting people and when he talked to anyone in the family he always had a story to tell. A few years ago he asked mom to make some sock monkeys for some of the little kids of some customers. They so loved the sock monkeys and had their moms send a video of them holding them. They also made thank you notes for mom. Hub was the one who got the true gift, because he really loved to make the kids smile. A few years after working at U.S. Pest he decided to move to Murfreesboro, TN and live in the country. He loved the quiet seclusion of this area. Hub had a heart attack in 2018 and shortly after had a pacemaker placed in his chest. The heart attack had done a lot of damage to his heart and it wasn't repairing itself. He didn't want to worry anyone so he only told me. I did finally talk him into letting me tell the family. In 2019 he went into heat failure and had a LVAD transplant, this is a Left Ventricular Assist Device, it pumps the blood from the left side of his heart. This was done as a bridge to wait for a heart transplant. Hub went back to work at U.S. Pest but couldn't gain the strength he needed. He would end up laying on the floor or the ground and he didn't want anyone to see him like this. Hub never quit drinking or smoking, he wanted to live life not just be alive. In 2020 he quit his job because he was so tired and he couldn't do his job. He had many falls but still wanted to enjoy living in the country. He read many books, watched many movies and made lots of calls to people. His last fall was very serious, he suffered a concussion and had bleeding in his brain but nothing could be done to help him. He disconnected his LVAD because it broke but he wasn’t thinking straight because of the head injury. When the ambulance came to his aide he told them the wrong color of car so they couldn't locate it. We have no idea how long his LVAD was disconnected and the Doctors said it couldn't be reconnected even if they did find it. You see you form blood clots in your heart when it is turned off. You are only supposed to have minutes to live after it is not working. But you see my brother was almost magic , he lived for 4 days before he passed away. I got to see him in the hospital we talked and laughed and he had good skin color but had some confusion. He told me you know what my job is now? I said no what is your job? He said to make these nurses laugh because I don't think they get much joy working here. He also wanted to teach my grandkids how to drive. He said you know I can do that cause I taught Tara (my daughter) and Joey (my sister's son) how to drive. I said that's true.

When I cleaned out his car I found his spare LVAD but never found the broken one in his car or house. Hub was a private person in that he didn't always tell what was going on with him because he didn't want anyone to worry. He also didn’t like a lot of questions. He wasn't prefect and even though we disagreed at times, he was my brother and I loved him. He will be missed by many. When I feel sad I think back to the happy memories and know he wouldn't want anyone to be sad. But this is hard right now. I know he is in a better place and has no more pain. I hope he is in heaven living life the way he wants, happy, reading, telling stories and making the Angels laugh.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Russell Lair and Deanna Delay Lair, Hubert Reese Mason I and Virginia Swallow Mason; father, Hubert Reese Mason II; uncle, Larry Grim and Russell Lair; aunt, Ruby Mason Lehenbauer Grimm; and cousin, Michael Lehenbauer.

He is survived by his mother, Joan Lair Mason of Lake Isabell, CA; sisters, Shelley Mason Ware (Joseph Ware II) of Quincy, IL, Tammy Mason Hills Candelaria Jacobson (Kevin Jacobson) of Phoenix, AZ; niece, Tara Hills (Damarcus Kendrick) of Clarksville, TN; nephew, Jospeh Ware III (Angie Ware) of Quincy, IL, Brent Hills (Camille Hills); great nieces, Ashley Ware of Quincy, IL, Sage Lambkin of Quincy, IL, TaNessia Davis, Tasia Kendrick, Tariah Kendrick, Tatiyana Hills all of Clarksville, TN, Bria Hills, Daysia Hills, Brynn Hills of Quincy, IL; great nephews, Joseph Ware IV and Jordan Ware of Quincy IL, Dawn Ware Will Wurtzberger (Bryan Wurtzberger) of LaBelle, MO, EmilliYon Hills, Noah Hills, Brent Hills, Jr.; great great niece, Tayliana Kendrick; uncles,Virgil Lehenbauer (Gerry Lehenauer) of Center, MO, Uncle Robert Lair (Jo Lair) of Quincy, IL; aunts, Juanita Lair Arnold (Everrett Arnold) of Lake Isabella, CA, Linda Weberg Lair of West DesMoines, IA, Linda Lair Scarbrough Standifer )Bob Standifer) of Fruitland Park, FL; first cousins, Tori Lehenbauer, Medea Lehenbauer Timbrook (Andrew Timbrook) all of Hannibal, MO, Caitie Corum of Coal Valley, IL, Lucy Hudson of Winterset, IA, Justin Rollen of Chicago, IL, Audrey Rollen of Batton Rouge, LA; and cousins, Martin Lehenbauer (Luann Lehenbauer), Diana Lehenbauer Corum (Craig Corum) of Palmyra, MO, Richard McDonald of Whittier, CA, Rendy McDonald, Mike Lair of Des Moines, IA, Melissa Lair Hudson (Ben Hudson), Stephanie Scarbrough Rollenn (Scott Rollen) of Germantown, TN, Andrea Scarbrough of Virginia.

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