Obituary for William S. Mason, Jr.
Mason, William S., Jr., age 78, went to be with his Lord on September 19, 2022, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Bill was raised in Fair Lawn, NJ, the son of the late William S., Sr., and Mary Mason.
Bill was a graduate of Fair Lawn High School, where he was an active member of the high school band. He went on to graduate from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, with a BS in Mathematics, University of Chicago, with a PhD in Biophysics, and University of Southern California School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow.
In 1973, he joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where he conducted ground-breaking research in the biology of viral disease for 45 years, even after retirement as a Senior Member Professor Emeritus. He served on the editorial boards of influential virology journals, was awarded the Distinguished Scientist Award by the Hepatitis B Foundation, and was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. He is greatly missed by his colleagues.
Bill was also an accomplished musician and avid bicyclist. He especially enjoyed many bicycling trips in Europe with his sister and friends on VBT Bike Tours. In his younger years, he enjoyed running in marathons. With all of his accomplishments, he was a very unassuming, humble man, with a wonderfully dry sense of humor.
Bill leaves his wife, Karen, loving daughter, Jeanine Mason, dear sister, Nancy Dyrsten, loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He will also be greatly missed by his devoted church family, including band and choir members at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Williamstown, NJ, his Bonsal Blues Band Members from Woodbury, NJ, and longtime friends from Fox Chase Cancer Center.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
Bill was a graduate of Fair Lawn High School, where he was an active member of the high school band. He went on to graduate from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, with a BS in Mathematics, University of Chicago, with a PhD in Biophysics, and University of Southern California School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow.
In 1973, he joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where he conducted ground-breaking research in the biology of viral disease for 45 years, even after retirement as a Senior Member Professor Emeritus. He served on the editorial boards of influential virology journals, was awarded the Distinguished Scientist Award by the Hepatitis B Foundation, and was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. He is greatly missed by his colleagues.
Bill was also an accomplished musician and avid bicyclist. He especially enjoyed many bicycling trips in Europe with his sister and friends on VBT Bike Tours. In his younger years, he enjoyed running in marathons. With all of his accomplishments, he was a very unassuming, humble man, with a wonderfully dry sense of humor.
Bill leaves his wife, Karen, loving daughter, Jeanine Mason, dear sister, Nancy Dyrsten, loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He will also be greatly missed by his devoted church family, including band and choir members at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Williamstown, NJ, his Bonsal Blues Band Members from Woodbury, NJ, and longtime friends from Fox Chase Cancer Center.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.