Benjamin Masin

Benjamin (Beno) Masin

Benjamin (Beno) Masin, 93, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 4th.

Ben was the eldest of 4 children born to Eman and Vera Masin. He moved from Riga, Latvia to Seattle when he was just 10 months old. His family home was around the corner from the dry goods store his father started on Jackson Street in the 1920's.

Ben attended Rainier Elementary School and then graduated from Garfield High School in 1938. Ben's mother, Vera, passed away that year, so he learned at a very early age what it was like to help take care of his family. Ben went on to the University of Washington and was a member of ZBT fraternity.

When Ben was 22, he fell in love with and married Carolyn Himelhoch. He enlisted in the Navy and later was transferred to the Marines, where he served as a hospital corpsman in the South Pacific during World War II. He didn't speak much of his war experience until much later in his life, when he shared that he was in the first wave of troops to land at Guadalcanal, Guam and Bouganville. He always thought he was very fortunate to have survived those bloody battles, while remembering the troops that were killed and injured all around him. When he was discharged in 1945, Ben joined his dad, Eman, in the family business. Eman passed the art of retail and the "selling gene" on to his son. Ben was always a very honest man who could sell just about anything to anyone, a very admirable trait in the world of retail.

E.Masin, the dry goods/salvage business, changed its focus and its name to E. Masin Furniture Company in 1946 and began renting space in Pioneer Square on the very same block where the store existed for 67 years. Many remember the radio ads of the 1960's, "Hasten to Masin! Two blocks south of the Smith Tower."

Pioneer Square was considered Skid Road at that time, but that was soon to change. In the early 1960's, a group of businessmen gathered to retain the architecture of Pioneer Square. Ben was an instrumental member of that group, which blocked the plans for urban renewal and preserved the beauty of Pioneer Square. Due to the efforts of the group, the area was designated a historical district in the 1970s. Ben worked with the Landmark Preservation Board, the Pioneer Square Preservation Board, and the Pioneer Square Association, an agency that he chaired for years.

There were many reasons Ben lived such a wonderful, long life. Ben came to work some part of every day until he was 90. Even into his late eighties, he opted to take the stairs up the four floors of the Pioneer Square store. He was always careful about what he ate. He thought conservatively and deliberately about everything he did. Ben was a devoted, generous, proud, hard-working, fun to be with, quick to laugh, twinkle-in-his-eye kind of guy. His sense of humor (mostly in good taste) stayed with him until the end. He was happy with his life, family, and work. Ben maintained his clear vision regarding what is important in life; not everyone is so fortunate to leave the earth with the beautiful perspective he felt and expressed. Ben was a man who loved his family and was truly loved by them. We all will miss him greatly.

Ben was predeceased by Carolyn, his wife of 63 years, and is survived by his daughter, Marilyn Kremen (Brian), his son, Bob Masin (Cindy), his grandchildren Brent Kremen, Lynne Shutt, David Masin (Anne) and Lesley Grosvenor (Jeff) and great-grandchildren, Grant and Ella Masin, Oliver Shutt and Evie Grosvenor. He also leaves his sisters, Phyllis Siegel, Adeline Siegel, and Sally Ross, and many nieces and nephews. And, Ben leaves his beloved companion, Josephine Jassny, with whom he shared a deep and loving relationship during the last 8 years of his life.

His family would like to thank Dr. Seth Franklin, his wonderful physician, Sophia and Monica, his devoted caregivers, and the comforting professionals at Franciscan Hospice.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 6th at 11:00 AM at the Butterworth Funeral Home-Arthur A. Wright Chapel, 520 West Raye Street, Seattle.

Donations can be made to Jewish Family Services, Temple de Hirsch Sinai, or the charity of your choice.