ObituaryWALTER MASSON, FREELANCE GARDEN WRITER FOR 50 YEARS, 91WESTFORD: Walter Masson ,91, formerly of Jamaica Plain, Needham, and Chelmsford, died on March16 at the Westford House Nursing Home. He was the husband of the late Esther (Maiers) Masson.For over 50 years, Mr. Masson freelanced, as an avocation, in garden and feature writing-photography for newspapers and magazines.His articles have been in the Boston Sunday Globe, The Boston Herald, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Yankee and Organic Gardening magazines, plus other publications.For two decades he self-syndicated a garden column that ran in up to 20 major daily newspapers of the Northeast.He received a Merit Award for his columns from the National Garden Bureau (1980). He was featured as an expert garden photographer in Popular Photography magazine (1961).Mr. Masson retired as promotion manager of the National Fire Protection Assoc. in 1977. Prior to this he was advertising director for the former Breck’s of Boston, seedsmen since 1818. He held similar positions with Cambosco Scientific Co. and Sears Roebuck & Co., mail order division.Masson Obit Page 2He was a member of the Garden Writers Assoc. of America and a former member of the Mail Selling and Advertising Clubs of Boston.He started his career during the Great Depression (1930) as a compositor in the printing trade, when the Linotype machine was considered a typesetting miracle.Mr. Masson was born in Boston. He and his family moved to Needham in 1952.In his younger days he was active in Needham organizations, including the Needham Community Council, the Needham Council of Aging and served as a volunteer publicity photographer for the Needham Fire Dept. For seven years, he was editor and photographer for the “News” of the Congregational Church of Needham.He leaves behind three sons and their wives: Conrad and Sandra Masson of Westford, MA, William and Lynn Masson of Littleton, MA, and Kenneth and Mariana Masson of Chelmsford, MA. He also had four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. MEMORIAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY MARCH 23 AT 11:00 AM FROM THE EATON FUNERAL HOME, 1351 HIGHLAND AVE. NEEDHAM. BURIAL AT THE NEEDHAM CEMETERY.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Walter Masson, Boylston Church, 207 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130.