WEBSTER – Victoria G. “Tory” (Wiggin) Mason, 88, died February 15, 2020 at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with her family at her side. She was the beloved wife of 49 years to James W. Mason until his passing in 2000.
Victoria was born in South Thomaston, Maine a daughter of the late LeRoy A. and Nellie (Steioff) Wiggin. She attended and graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School in North Grosvenordale, CT in 1949 and also graduated from Nichols College in Dudley in 1986 at the age of 55. Victoria held various jobs throughout her life but would say the most important job she had in life was raising her four children and providing “Nana’s” day care service for her five grandchildren.
Victoria was a woman of many talents including, knitting, sewing, organ and piano playing, wood working, cake decorating, negotiating at yard sales, painting and paper tolling. She also enjoyed gardening and took pride in her back yard including the numerous multicolored brick walkways and patios that she put in herself. She was a true “Mason!” Victoria was also a Eucharistic Minister and a religious education teacher at St Louis Parish in Webster for many years. She enjoyed card playing, board games, puzzles, bowling, bocce, penny poker machines, church suppers and any family gathering that involved musical entertainment provided by her children and grandchildren.
Victoria is survived and will be deeply missed by her four children, Lois Mason of East Brookfield, James Mason, Jr of Las Vegas NV, Cathy Stolarczyk of Sutton and Earl Mason of Tyngsboro. Victoria also leaves five grandchildren, Lauren and Bryan Mason, Rebecca, Maria and James Stolarczyk; two sisters, Ava Allen and Idabelle Perry and one brother, Eugene Wiggin, all of Owls Head, ME; and many nephews and nieces. She was predeceased by her sister Marjorie Kalloch and her brother Harold Wiggin, both in 2019.
The family would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at UMass Medical Hospital in Worcester for the excellent care she received, in particular the 8th Floor Bone Marrow Team as well as the team on the 6th floor in the ACC building. Victoria took great pride in being able to say she was the oldest person in the country to have gone through and survived two bone marrow transplants and has paved a road of hope and inspiration for those behind her. The family would also like to thank a very dear young woman in Germany for her bone marrow donation that truly did provide the gift of life, along with our wonderful caregiver Grace, who provided extraordinary care, comfort and compassion which allowed Victoria to live her remaining years in her own home which she loved so much. Last of all, a special thanks to Dr Jan Cerny who believed in Victoria’s strength, courage and will to live, which allowed her to have an additional wonderful nine years of quality time with her family.
The funeral will be held Friday, February 21, 2020 from Scanlon Funeral Service, 38 East Main Street, Webster with a Mass at noon in St Louis Church, 15 Lake St., Webster. Burial will be at the family’s convenience in Calvary Cemetery, Dudley. Calling hours will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, February 20th, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Dr Jan Cerny’s ongoing leukemia research fund. Checks should be made payable to: Dr Jan Cerny, UMMF-TRIAL and sent to: UMMF-TRIAL Fund, UMass Medicine Development Office, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.