Brian Gillis Mason

Brian Gillis Mason 1941- On Monday, January 6th, Brian Gillis Mason passed away from complications related to ITP. Brian was a kind and gentle man, an avid libertarian (with a soft heart), a humanitarian, an environmentalist, a lover of science, history, and genealogy.

Brian was born on December 27, 1941, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Growing up he loved to help his father at work, first in the pharmacy and then selling coins. He graduated from the last class of Cheyenne High School and went to the University of Wyoming in Laramie to get his bachelor's in international affairs in 1964. Around this time he discovered the writings of Ayn Rand, which set him on the path to being a lifelong libertarian. He then moved to D.C. where he received his first Master's degree, in Public Administration from George Washington University in 1968. Inspired by his experience in D.C., he then went to the University of Utah to get his second Master's, in Journalism, with the dream of working for Voice of America. It was there he met and fell in love with Priscilla Campbell, whom he married in 1972.

Pursuing his dream, the two moved to Washington, D.C. where he began his career in government, though not at Voice of America as he hoped. Instead, trying to get any job he could that would get him to his dream job, he worked for the Office of Administration for the U.S. Information Agency. This led him into a different career path, one of property management, beginning with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1972 where he oversaw creation of the property management system. While he was there, he was blessed with a daughter in 1974 and a son in 1977. He then went on to also create the property management system for the Merit Systems Protection Board. As times changed, so did his life, and in 1990 he and Priscilla got divorced. To cover expenses, he briefly worked at NASDAQ. In 1990 he moved on to do property management at NOAA, where he worked until he retired. In 2003 he was named the National Property Management Association's Federal Property Person of the Year.

He spent his time in retirement selling his father's stamp collection, building out the family tree (over 12,000 people added!), learning Norwegian to connect with his family roots, traveling when he could (including Japan to visit his college roommate and Norway to visit his ancestor's homeland), reading, and spending time with his cat and pet parakeets.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Francis Mason, his mother, Doris Louise Gillis Mason Zolnoski, and his brother-in-law, Gary Troudt. He is survived by his three siblings, Marion (Chuck) Kern, Anita Troudt, and Thomas (Starla) Mason; his daughter, Briianna Joy (Michael) Currie; and his son, Winter Aaron Mason, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on January 15th at 11a.m. at DeVol Funeral Home in Gaithersburg, MD.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to Doctors Without Borders. https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Web viewing for Brian G Mason funeral

Time: Jan 15, 2025 10:45 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83946458787?pwd=k2olz1b7wzFr19ma9wL1kUI4BX2VK5.1

Meeting ID: 839 4645 8787

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